


Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights

by xiuminlover666



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Discrimination, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Violence, Minseok and Jongdae are oblivious idiots, My attempt at a gothic romance, No Smut, Obviously blood bc vampires, Prejudice, Romance, Setting is fictional but with early 20th century vibes, Social hierarchies between humans and vampires, Supernatural Elements, Tensions between vampires and humans, Themes of war, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-09-02 04:33:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 97,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16779667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiuminlover666/pseuds/xiuminlover666
Summary: Amidst the rising tensions between vampires and humans, Minseok is just trying to get by and survive. Hailing from a centuries-old blood patron clan he is shunned by humans but has no place among vampires ever since the last war. When he takes up a job as a cleaner in a sprawling old manor house he does not expect his employer to be a reclusive vampire prince.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I would just like to point out that vampires in this universe are like elves in LOTR: they're born, they grow up, they reach maturity at a certain age and then stop aging and are immortal. Unlike elves, however, vampires in this universe can only have children with other vampires.

It was a cold autumn morning when Minseok’s shoes broke as he made his way to work. As he trudged through the dead leaves on the pavement he felt the sole of his boot separate from the leather. He stopped to inspect it, sighed, and carried on. It was about time he got new boots, though he supposed he would have to wait until they literally fall apart and were irreparable because he had no money for such things. He could just find some glue in the storeroom of the factory and try to fix it.

A newsboy waved newspapers at the people rushing by in the morning commute. Minseok was able to spare two coins, one for the paper and one for the boy’s breakfast, and he scanned over the headlines as he walked. As per usual, the news was grim. More reported incidents of anti-vampire groups starting conflicts all over the country. More articles about politicians holding meetings to try and avoid another war. He sighed and shook his head. Though the last major world war concerning humans and vampires had occurred nearly one hundred years ago, there had always been smaller wars and conflicts erupting every now and then. The last war in Korea happened when he was a child though he had been fortunate enough to have been living in the countryside and away from the conflict with his family when it happened.

The walk from his apartment to the textile factory was not far as he lived in the industrial sector of the city. Rent was incredibly cheap but it was due to the poorly maintained buildings. Minseok had been living there for three years already and he knew that if he did not have his best friend Junmyeon living and working with him then he would have fallen into misery ages ago.

He stood in the line of workers slowly trudging into the factory and Minseok frowned as he thought of his friend. He’d recently fallen ill, which was no surprise to either of them because his health was appalling, but now Minseok was rather worried. The more work days Junmyeon missed, the less money he was able to bring in, and they were struggling to make ends meet already. Minseok stowed his newspaper away with his coat, scarf, and hat in his small locker and pulled on a pair of worn overalls and joined the other workers in the factory. The machines were already going and a cloud of steam hung over their heads. Minseok was used to the drone of the machines by now and he was used to being on his feet all day. His work days were incredibly dull but Junmyeon’s company made it more bearable.

Minseok never thought he would grow up to work at a factory in the city, but he had been working there since he was seventeen with no clear end in sight. If the last conflict had not been so devastating to humans and vampires then his life would not have been completely changed and he probably would have been able to finish school and attend university. His family also probably would not have died after moving to the city and contracting illnesses due to their poor living conditions. But Minseok tried to not spend time reminiscing because he knew that it was of no use. Being miserable about the past would not change his present situation.

While the factory and all sectors of industry were owned by wealthy vampires, they were managed by humans. Minseok’s boss was loathsome and abused his power so it was a small relief when he ended a work day without being harassed by him. He had a special disliking for Minseok, most likely due to his background and family history, which had spread quickly amongst everyone in the factory since he started working there as a teenager.

Once upon a time the two species did get along quite well, but the competition for resources and wealth, as well as the growing presence of religion, changed everything. Vampires always ended up at the top of the social hierarchy and many humans vented their frustration against other humans who did not want to detest them and join rebellions. Minseok knew that the tensions between vampires and humans were worse off in the city purely due to the place’s turbulent history. In other parts of the world there were no hierarchies or tensions, though he could scarcely imagine such places outside of books.

After the last war the survivors of the vampire family that employed Minseok’s family decided to leave the country for good. Though they tried to help desperately, Minseok’s family could not leave under suspicion of being collaborators, due to martial laws decreed by the newly elected human government. They moved to the city with hardly any money and life had been difficult. The reason why his family, and other families like his, were so hated and discriminated against was because they worked for vampires by means of being blood patrons.

Thousands of years ago certain clans had pledged themselves to serving vampire clans, not due to subordination or coercion, but because they shared friendships and relationships. The majority of vampires did not want to harm unwilling humans just to survive and so the agreement between clans worked out for them and the general population. Such clans used to be treated like royalty and were held in high regard in society. Unfortunately they ended up on the wrong side of history and many of them died out. Many of Minseok’s cousins and extended family had either died or left the country for better prospects, sometimes alone and sometimes with the vampires they served. Clans were identified not by surname but by their seal, so it was easy for Minseok to hide his heritage until he had to sign any sort of document. When Minseok had signed the contract to work at the factory he’d had no choice but to sign with his seal, as required by law, and the news had spread like wildfire.

The only person who did not stare at him or avoid him had been Junmyeon. He had worked beside Minseok at the time and greeted him with a friendly smile and they’d been best friends ever since.

The sun was starting to dip towards the horizon as Minseok walked back home, his boot now fixed with some glue he had swiped when none of his supervisors were around. He stopped to buy some medicine and food before continuing along with the throng of people. Minseok paused when he heard the unmistakable sound of an engine and turned his head with everyone else to see a car driving down the road. It was one of the latest models, and Minseok never failed to gape at cars when he saw them, but he immediately recognised that it belonged to a vampire. Everyone else knew as well, and many of them stopped in their commute and stared as the car passed by. Some looked on in fear and others in revulsion. It was most likely one of the factory owners going to check up on things, and Minseok managed to get a glimpse of red eyes behind the dark windows. They regarded him and the other humans with contempt.

Minseok remembered the vampire clan his family had served as being the kindest people he’d ever known. But every vampire he’d encountered in the city was arrogant and rude and often very eager to assert their authority over anyone beneath them. He did not meet them often, as he was just a poor factory worker after all, but when he did Minseok was sure to stay polite and respectful. It was a common occurrence that anyone who disrespected a vampire, or who was perceived as being disrespectful, was either arrested or faced worse consequences if the vampire was daring enough to disobey the law.

Drinking from non-consenting humans had been outlawed centuries ago, but after the dissolution of blood patron clans, some humans tried to make business out of it by selling blood. It had taken a while to legalise and legitimise it but now only a few select companies were allowed to distribute blood for vampires’ use. Due to the devastating aftermath of war, Korea stopped being able to manufacture and distribute its own blood and had to start relying on foreign imports. There are many rumours that local blood is taken by dubious means and that most of it is diluted with animal blood and it remains a heavily contested issue. Many people also willingly sell their own blood, often in private hidden bars and clubs, though it is considered a form of illegal solicitation and is often viewed with more contempt by the human authorities than a vampire attack, a rare occurrence, because it is seen as a betrayal of humanity.

Minseok was glad to finally arrive home after a long day and he was glad that Junmyeon had turned on the heating. It was a tiny one-room apartment and they just had enough space to fit in two beds on either side of the one and only window.

“Hello, Minseok,” Junmyeon said from where he sat at the table reading a book. “How was work?”  
“Same old,” Minseok said with a sigh. “How are you feeling?”

Despite Junmyeon’s phlegmy cough he shook his head dismissively.  
“Fine. I should be better tomorrow,” he said and Minseok just rolled his eyes. Junmyeon never knew how or when to look after himself and so Minseok usually had to force-feed him healthy food or drag him back into bed when he tried to get up for work.

“I doubt that. I’ll make us supper,” he said and he got to work in their tiny kitchen. They had a meagre dinner of rice and the meat and vegetables Minseok had bought. While he was just able to afford decent food Minseok was not sure for how much longer he could do so.

“I saw in the news today that ambassadors from China are visiting,” Junmyeon said through a mouthful of rice. “It’s apparently for some kind of conference about the attack on that vampire in the south.”  
“What’re they going to do about it?” Minseok said with a dry laugh. “This kind of stuff isn’t happening in China or anywhere else.”  
“That’s the thing. They’re going to teach people about peace and harmony or something,” Junmyeon said and he laughed at the idea. “Imagine that. I think I’ll die before I see anything as much as a human and a vampire holding hands.”  
“It’s not impossible,” Minseok said with a shrug. “Though I doubt it could ever happen here.” He glanced out the window at the grey skyline. Once it was fully dark the city centre would be full of busy vampires. While some did venture out during the day, the majority of them conducted their business at night because the sunlight was rather uncomfortable. As a result humans avoided going out after dark at all costs. The only humans to be seen at night were the aristocrats though they were few and far between and mostly shunned by humans of lower social classes.

Junmyeon fiddled with the silver cross around his neck and he followed Minseok’s gaze.  
“You say things never used to be this bad,” he muttered. “I’ve lived in this city my whole life and I really don’t want to believe that there’ll be another war.”  
“Well, I don’t suppose there’s anything we can do about it,” Minseok said with a sigh. “But let’s not talk about depressing stuff. I bought you some medicine and you’d better take it all!”

After finishing their meal and making Junmyeon drink the cough syrup, the two of them sat close to the radiator and poured over the word puzzles in the newspaper. They owned a few books which had been read and re-read countless times, and seeing as neither of them could afford other means of entertainment they relied on the newspaper. Many people of their social class weren’t entirely literate and Minseok was glad that Junmyeon had completed most of his schooling. He’d dropped out at sixteen to support his family but he desperately wanted to go to university. Minseok consoled him by telling him that one day everything would fall into place.

That night Minseok had the same recurring dream that he dreamt at least once a week. He was in his childhood home in the countryside. It was a magnificent manor house and in the dream he did nothing but walk down the passages. It did not disturb him even if it often made him feel a bit sad. But in the morning he did not have much time to think about his dreams because Junmyeon was worse off than the previous day.

“God, I wish I didn’t have to leave you here,” Minseok said as he pulled the duvet up to Junmyeon’s chin. He was pale and clammy and his cough was like a thick bark.  
“Don’t worry about me,” he muttered. “I just wish I could get some money in. I’m going to get fired one of these days.”  
“Don’t think about that,” Minseok said sternly. “I’ll see if I can work overtime or something. We’ll figure something out, just rest. There’s food and tea for you in the kitchen.”  
“Thanks, Minseok,” he said with a sigh.

He looked rather melancholic and Minseok really wished he could abandon his own day’s work to look after him. Neither of them had money for a doctor so all Minseok could do was pray that the cough syrup would work.

At work he was very annoyed to see his boss walking about. He tried to put his head down and ignore him, but the empty space beside him was glaringly obvious.

“Still no Junmyeon, eh?” the man drawled as he sauntered over to Minseok. “What’s wrong with him this time?”  
“He has a chest infection, sir,” Minseok said with some forced politeness.  
“Hmm. Does he know that I can’t pay him for work that doesn’t get done?”  
“He’s aware, sir.”  
“Well, I hope he’s aware that he’s getting nothing for this month. I’m considering firing him too.”  
Minseok had no response so he merely nodded and it took a lot of effort to keep a straight face.

After finding nothing else to harass Minseok about, he sauntered off to another employee. For the rest of the day Minseok was tense as he worried about Junmyeon’s health and their dwindling finances. He barely concentrated on anything else and even as he walked home he stumbled over a loose stone on the pavement and dropped his newspaper. He sighed as he bent down to gather up the scattered pages but he froze when his eyes spotted the classifieds and his lips parted in a sudden moment of realisation. He cursed his own stupidity because of course it made sense for him to find a second job. He could not expect Junmyeon to miraculously find work that did not require him to leave the apartment.

Minseok stepped aside and leaned against a wall and scanned his eyes over the numerous job advertisements. He needed something in the evenings so that he could still work at the factory, but he already moved onto page three and there was nothing. He was on the final page and close to giving up when his eyes caught a small little section in the corner of the page beside an advert for a funeral home service.

_Wanted: House cleaner._  
_Must be reliable and have knowledge of how to clean rare and expensive furniture._  
 _Hours are negotiable._

Although it was incredibly vague and a house cleaner was at the absolute bottom of servants jobs, Minseok raised his eyebrows when he saw the salary. He read over the address and the contact details and saw that he had until six o’clock to go ask for an appointment. Minseok wasted no time and took the last tram of the day to the other side of the city. He figured out where to go by asking people for directions and he ignored the strange looks he got due to his tattered working-class attire and the lateness of the hour.

Eventually he found his way to a suburban area that was almost closed off from the city by a park and the cemetery. He had never been on this side of town before and he only saw well-dressed ladies and gentlemen strolling about on the wide pavements. He kept his head down as he passed them and made his way up a small hill until he came to one of the biggest houses he’d ever seen since moving to the city. It was an old manor house made entirely out of dark stone and tiled with black slate. It was enclosed by high brick walls and a tall black iron gate. If it were not for the walls then it would be nearly hidden by the expanse of tall trees surrounding the property. Minseok approached the gate hesitantly and peered through the bars. He was unsure of how to alert anyone that he was there and a sudden voice made him jump.

“Who’s there?”

He jumped around and saw a teenage boy walking up the pathway. He pushed a bicycle that was laden with a few parcels. He was dressed like a servant and although he was evidently younger than Minseok he was taller. He had a rather disinterested expression though his features were well-refined. Minseok thought that he could easily pass for an aristocrat if he were to put on the right clothes.

“Hello, er, I’m here for the cleaning job,” Minseok said. “The one advertised in the paper.”  
“Oh, right,” he said though he did not sound either pleased or displeased about it. He took out a large key from his coat pocket and unlocked the gates and Minseok followed him through. The wide pathway led up to the house though they disregarded the front door and went around to the back. The gardens were a bit unkempt though Minseok preferred it to the clinically neat gardens people often preferred. The grass came up to their ankles and flowers and shrubs grew everywhere without constraint. The trees did not allow Minseok to see very far but he could discern that the rest of the grounds were rather wild and overgrown. He noticed that all the curtains were already drawn across the windows even though it was not yet dark.

“What’s your name?” the boy asked as he led Minseok to the back door. He leaned his bicycle against the wall and started to unload the packages.  
“Kim Minseok,” he said. “Do you want some help with that?”

The boy regarded him for a moment before he nodded.  
“Thanks. I’m Oh Sehun,” he said as he handed the heaviest parcel to Minseok. The back door opened at that moment and Minseok could not see over his parcel but the person who appeared sounded rather annoyed.

“Sehun what took you so long? I thought we were going to eat dinner without you – oh, who’s this?”  
“He’s here for the cleaning job,” Sehun said indifferently as though he had not been scolded. The parcel was suddenly relieved from Minseok’s arms and shoved back at Sehun and Minseok came face-to-face with a smiling young man with a mop of black hair. He had a friendly face though Minseok detected a hint of hidden mischief.

“Hello! I’m Byun Baekhyun,” he said with a bow which Minseok returned after introducing himself. He looked Minseok up and down and raised an eyebrow and his smile faltered. “You know about looking after expensive furniture?”

His tone was not rude so Minseok took no offence as he understood why he would be sceptical. After all his boots were incredibly scuffed and there was a small tear in his hat.  
“I used to clean for a rich family when I was younger,” he lied. “I don’t have any references though.”  
“Well the fact that someone finally turned up is good enough for me,” Baekhyun said. “Come inside. Oh, fine, Sehun!”

Baekhyun snatched the parcel back even though Sehun had not said anything and he marched up the steps into the house. Minseok followed after Sehun and they came into a spacious kitchen where another two servants were bustling about and they continued on into a dining room that was bigger than Minseok’s entire apartment. The curtains were drawn and the table was not set but Baekhyun gestured for him to sit down. It felt strangely informal to have an interview in the dining room but Minseok complied. Sehun sat beside Baekhyun and just stared at Minseok with mild interest.

“Firstly, yes, you will be the only cleaning servant in this entire house,” Baekhyun said as though he was getting something off his chest. “Our last servant left because he got sick of all the work and it’s been impossible to get someone who’s willing to do the entire house.”  
“I don’t mind,” Minseok said.  
“I swear the salary is negotiable – what? You’re fine with it?” Baekhyun spluttered. Minseok smiled and nodded because if there was one thing he genuinely enjoyed it was cleaning. As a child he often helped to clean his family’s manor, much to everyone’s amusement at seeing him running around with a feather duster.

“There are four floors, including the basement, and they’re all filthy,” Baekhyun said as though still trying to gauge Minseok’s reaction. “We haven’t had anyone cleaning for nearly a month.”  
“That’s fine with me,” Minseok said. “Really. I like cleaning.”  
Sehun gaped at him but Baekhyun’s smile widened.  
“Fantastic. Now what about your hours?”  
“I work at a factory from eight until five,” Minseok explained. “So is it alright if I work after that? I know it’s a bit weird but I could really use the money. I don’t mind finishing late either.”  
“That’s great, honestly,” Baekhyun said eagerly. “We’ll even give you supper. Are you available to start tomorrow? We can see how much needs to get done before we discuss your permanent hours.”  
“Yes,” Minseok said. “Though, how do I let you know I’m outside the gate? If it wasn’t for Sehun I’d probably still be out there.”  
“Well, it’s Sehun’s job to man the gate, actually,” Baekhyun said with a look at the boy that was not lacking in fondness. “Don’t worry, he’ll be there waiting for you.”  
“Right. Are you the butler, then?”

Baekhyun laughed and shook his head.  
“I’m just a footman,” he said. “We’ don’t have a butler. It’s just one cook, two footmen, Sehun, and now you!”  
Minseok was surprised that such a large house could function with so few servants.  
“Oh? Is it a small family that lives here?” he asked.  
“It’s just the master of the house, actually. He keeps to himself so don’t expect to see him at all.”

Minseok nodded though it sounded rather strange that he actually had no idea who lived in the house. But Baekhyun seemed very friendly, and even if he wasn’t friendly the salary was enough to make Minseok put up with anything. So they spoke a bit longer before Minseok left. Baekhyun walked him to the gate and gave him an enthusiastic goodbye and watched him until he walked out of sight.

Now it was dark and chilly but Minseok walked with a smile on his face because by pure chance he’d landed himself a well-paying job. He knew that the hours would take a bit of a toll on his sleeping schedule but he was more than willing to put up with it for his and Junmyeon’s sakes.

Now as he walked home he noticed the vampires out and about on the streets. He was very aware that he was probably the only human on the street and they were aware of it too and some even stared at him. He merely put his head down and carried on, though he did not feel fearful at all. As he had grown up surrounded by vampires Minseok could never view them as monsters like the majority of the human population. They were just like everyone else to him. Despite the arrogant attitudes of the city vampires Minseok had faced far worse treatment from his own kind.

When he arrived home he was shocked to see that Junmyeon was fast asleep. He quietly went about making supper and gently woke him up. 

“How are you feeling? Are you hungry?” he asked. Junmyeon shook his head.  
“I feel terrible,” he muttered. “It’s dark…where were you? I thought I was imagining things.”  
“I got another job,” Minseok said and he quickly explained everything to Junmyeon.

He was quiet for a moment.  
“Are you sure about this? Servants don’t get treated well, especially cleaners,” he said. Minseok shrugged.  
“I don’t mind, to be honest. Nothing can be worse than that godforsaken factory.”

Junmyeon seemed a bit subdued and Minseok reassured him that he had absolutely no reason to feel bad. He knew that Junmyeon tended to be a bit sensitive so he hoped he would not feel guilty about Minseok having to get another job.

That night Minseok dreamt again of his childhood home though now it was more vivid. He sat in the drawing room and bright sunlight filtered through the large windows. He was surrounded by his family and it felt strange because although he did not know that he was dreaming, he knew that something was not right because his family was gone. He knew that they should not all be together in the house because the house no longer existed. He was not distressed but he could not feel content with the situation when he knew that it was not entirely real. Then the vampire family they served entered the room and Minseok felt a deep sorrow tugging at his heart when their bright smiles reached their red glinting eyes. He missed them as much as he missed his own parents, and even though he saw them smiling and laughing, calling him fondly, he could not help but cry.

For the first time in a long time Minseok searched through a box he kept beneath his bed. It contained his most precious possessions that were the last keepsakes he had from his past. There were a few yellowed black-and-white photographs, a painting of his family seal and the seal of the vampire family, and a silver necklace with a small crystal moon pendant, a symbol of his clan. The necklace had been passed down throughout his family for generations and it was the most valuable thing he owned. His dream made him feel rather nostalgic so he decided to wear the necklace from now on. 


	2. Chapter 2

Once Minseok’s shift at the factory was over he made his way into the city with a small sense of anticipation. As he approached the gate he saw Sehun waiting for him on the other side, sitting on a tree stump with his nose buried in a book.

“Hello, Sehun,” Minseok said. The boy returned the greeting though he seemed a bit annoyed at having to wait outside in the chilly air. He led Minseok into the house through the back door and Baekhyun greeted him with a smile. The other footman, a very tall gangly boy with large ears, was in the kitchen and it seemed like he was bothering the short owl-eyed cook working at the stove.

“This is Minseok, everyone,” Baekhyun said. “He’s the new cleaner!”

The gangly footman was named Chanyeol, and he had the widest grin Minseok had ever seen, and the disgruntled cook who hit Chanyeol with his spoon was named Kyungsoo. He was very soft-spoken and polite but Minseok made a mental note to not annoy him. Baekhyun led Minseok to a small storage room and he handed him a grey servants’ uniform. It was unlike the other uniforms as it was in a traditional style.

“This is the old cleaner’s uniform, I had it cleaned,” he said. “He was a lot bigger than you so I hope it fits.”  
“It should be fine. Thanks, Baekhyun.”

The uniform was indeed rather large and Minseok had to roll up the tunic sleeves and pants legs. He left his clothes and boots neatly folded in the storage room and then returned to Baekhyun so he could show him around the house.

Minseok could not help but gape because he had never been inside such a huge house before. He had not seen such grandness since his childhood. The wide staircase connected the first three floors and one could overlook the entire house from the very top via an indoor balcony, though Minseok preferred not to as it was rather high up. Baekhyun instructed Minseok that there was no need to venture into the basement below the kitchen as it was the only place he had bothered to clean. He was very adamant about Minseok staying out of the basement and he did not question why as he was more concerned with the other three floors. The house was actually as filthy as Baekhyun made it out to be as the dark wood and heavily embroidered fabrics of the furniture and carpets were coated with dust and cobwebs. If Minseok did not know any better he would have thought that the house was abandoned. Everything was rather dark inside and it was partially due to the rich colours but also because the curtains were closed and the only light came from candles.

“The master is old so he doesn’t really like electricity,” Baekhyun explained with a small snicker. “We only have it some parts of the house.”

After the tour he led Minseok back to the kitchen where Kyungsoo was serving supper for all of them. He proved to be an excellent cook and Minseok ate happily though he found it strange that the servants were allowed to eat before their master and make a ruckus as well.

“Has your master already eaten supper?” Minseok asked over Chanyeol’s loud guffawing.

The servants were also surprisingly young, as Sehun was sixteen and the rest of them were nineteen. He wondered how the house was still standing after being left in the care of four teenage boys.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun said. “He usually just eats in his room, though. That’s another thing I forgot to mention: his chambers are in the left wing of the top floor. Don’t go there unless he’s not home. Though he’s not actually here now, but he’ll be coming back soon.”  
“Who cleans it then?” Minseok asked with a raised eyebrow.  
“He cleans it himself,” Baekhyun said and he laughed at Minseok’s surprised expression. “He’s not like most people,” he said. “Anyways, I think you should start on the ground floor today and see how far you get.”

Minseok started in the foyer though it only had some dust at the top of the curtains and he had to stand on a chair to reach. The wooden tables and the porcelain ornaments needed polishing and shining and so Minseok quickly got absorbed in his work. As the house was in a secluded area it was incredibly quiet and Minseok was surprised at first by the lack of city noise. He was so used to the sounds of industry and the drones of motors. Occasionally the voices of the servants drifted in from the kitchen but they were cheerful so it did not bother Minseok. As he polished the dark wooden tables and wiped the porcelain vases he was reminded of his childhood home.

He was so absorbed in his cleaning that he did not notice Baekhyun’s approach.  
“Minseok, aren’t you tired?” he asked incredulously. Minseok glanced at the grandfather clock and saw that it was nearly midnight.  
“Oh! Well, not really,” he said with a small laugh. “But I suppose I should go if I want to get some sleep.”

Baekhyun walked him to the gate again and bade him farewell. This time as Minseok walked home there were many more vampires outside. When their red eyes met his gaze he bowed politely but otherwise no one paid him any attention. When he returned home Junmyeon was fast asleep but his deep breaths sounded clearer than before and Minseok was relieved.

* * *

Minseok fell into a comfortable routine. After his shift he would go to the house to be met by Sehun. Then he would eat with the servants, though sometimes not all of them were there, and he would get started on his cleaning, and then finally Baekhyun would walk him to the gate and say goodbye. Some nights the only servants there were Baekhyun and Sehun, though there was always leftover food for them to eat, but Minseok did not inquire where everyone else went. They left him to his work so he would leave them to theirs without being nosy.

Junmyeon recovered from his chest infection within a few days and Minseok was glad to have him back at work. Even though their boss was not going to pay him for September, he insisted on returning so that he would not get fired. On the weekends Minseok spent time with Junmyeon, merely resting and doing word puzzles in the newspaper.

It took almost a week for Minseok to finish cleaning the ground floor of the manor and when he next arrived at the manor he was surprised to see a car parked outside the house. It was black and looked very new. He inquired about it over dinner, which was a surprisingly quiet affair for once.

“Oh, it’s the master’s,” Kyungsoo said. “He was in the north for the summer but now he’s back. He’s very tired so we should really be quiet tonight.” He gave Chanyeol a pointed look as he said this and the boy smiled sheepishly. Minseok thought it strange that the servants would still be required in the house even if the master was not there but he did not enquire.

“Does he, the master, does he know about me?” Minseok asked.  
“Er, no,” Baekhyun said awkwardly. He held up his hands defensively when Minseok frowned at him. “He’s been away for months! It slipped my mind.”   
“Well, I hope he doesn’t run into me and mistake me for a burglar,” Minseok muttered.  
“He won’t. He never leaves his room and he’ll know you’re…you’re…” Sehun said before his words died in his mouth. It seemed like he wanted to say more but a pointed look from Baekhyun made him stop speaking. Minseok glanced between them and narrowed his eyes but he bit back his questions.

He had to clean the staircase as he moved up to the first floor and when he got there he was slightly startled by how dark it was. He had to venture back downstairs to ask Baekhyun for a gas lantern because candles did not offer enough light. The rooms were so dusty that Minseok had to cover his nose and mouth with a cloth to prevent a sneezing fit.

He was scrubbing the wooden floor when he heard something like a door slamming and the sound made him jump. He heard the wood creaking above him before there was silence again and he thought nothing more of it. Then there was the sudden eruption of loud voices, none of which Minseok recognised, and he heard what sounded like a group of at least ten people marching up the stairs. Their voices faded away and Minseok heard nothing more, though he guessed that they were guests for the master.

Baekhyun came to relieve him at eleven and he stared in wonder at the gleaming wooden floor.  
“It hasn’t shone like that in ages,” he said.  
“I still have more to do,” Minseok said.  
“You can go early tonight. The master is entertaining.” Minseok assumed that he and his guests would be running amok in the house and would therefore not want to see a lowly servant cleaning the floors.

When Baekhyun walked him to the gate he withdrew a set of keys.   
“I think it’s time you got these,” he said. “Sometimes Sehun and I won’t always be around to let you in and out. You’re responsible, so we can trust you.”  
“Thanks, Baekhyun,” Minseok said with a smile. “If you don’t mind me asking, how come you and the other servants aren’t always here?”  
“We’re not needed that frequently,” Baekhyun said with a shrug. “Now off you go before it gets too late!”

While Minseok was proud that he had been entrusted with the keys, he still felt that there was something rather strange about the whole arrangement of the house.

* * *

September faded into October and the days steadily grew colder and the nights longer. Whenever winter came around the factory insisted that they had to cut the use of the radiators inside the building to save money, though Minseok knew they were just being stingy. It was uncomfortably cold inside the factory but it would only get worse once winter set in. Minseok made sure that Junmyeon dressed very warmly to prevent getting sick and he even made him wear some of his own clothes. Despite the fact that Minseok had not worked for the whole of September, Baekhyun still paid him for the full month and he was extremely grateful. The extra money was welcome and Minseok was even able to save a bit of it.

He was now used to being the only servant present in the entire house but Kyungsoo would always leave something for his supper. Sometimes the car would disappear and then Minseok knew that the master was gone and he really was completely alone. Most people would probably be apprehensive about being the only living soul in such a large house, but it hardly bothered Minseok. The place reminded him so much of his childhood home that he enjoyed being alone in it. He found comfort in the dark smooth woods and richly embroidered fabrics. Although the house creaked and settled and made strange sounds Minseok remained unbothered.

Cleaning the house became one of the small comforts in his life as work at the factory became increasingly unpleasant. There had been another skirmish between an anti-vampire group and a vampire-owned business not too far from the city and the atmosphere became gloomy. There were no deaths, but several humans and two vampires had been seriously injured. The fact that their factory was owned by a vampire made the workers resent their job even more, especially when their boss seemed to hate it the most. He openly hated vampires and Minseok thought it was a wonder he had not lost his job yet. Minseok often saw strangers going in and out of his office and judging by how they were dressed they were definitely activists of some sort. He knew of underground groups who were actively seeking to overthrow the government and cause general havoc. They often handed out pamphlets in alleyways out of sight. While Minseok did agree that humans were generally treated unfairly, he knew that another attempt at seizing power and a war would not result in anything good. The issue was with the corrupt vampire and human officials in government, nothing more.

There was a cold front and Junmyeon fell ill with a cold. Luckily this time Minseok was able to take him to the doctor and it was nothing too serious, though he was still very miserable about it. Minseok pitied him being bedridden all day and he promised to buy him his favourite snack to make him feel better.

* * *

Minseok had a lot on his mind as he worked on one chilly evening. Again he was the only person in the entire house and the silence comforted his worried mind. His only discomfort was that the house was very cold as none of the fireplaces were lit. He was polishing tables in a room on the first floor and every now and then a howling wind tore through the house and sounded as though it was groaning. Initially he paid no attention to it until he heard the distinct sound of footsteps above him.

He assumed the master was out seeing as his car was nowhere in sight. He stared up at the ceiling when the stomping happened again. There had been a few nights when he’d had guests over, and Baekhyun had let Minseok leave early. But Minseok wondered how one person could make so much noise. It abruptly stopped and he returned to his work.

When he entered the next room he sighed at the sight of the dust. Minseok crossed the floor, his feet leaving prints in the thick carpet of dust, and he wrenched back the curtains. He pulled open the windows, coughing and spluttering all the while from the dust, and breathed in the fresh night air even though he shivered. The furniture was covered with sheets so he went around removing them and shaking them out by the window. Another gust of wind howled through the house and caused the shutters to bang and then Minseok’s candle was suddenly extinguished.

“Dammit,” he muttered as he fumbled around for the gas lamp he’d brought. Baekhyun also told him that the gas was rather expensive so it was better if he made use of candles. Minseok only had faint moonlight to guide him in the dark room as he searched for the lamp. As soon as he turned it on the room was cast into a warm glow and then Minseok saw that the wind had caused the door to blow open. As he approached to close it something moved past the opening and Minseok jumped. It had been a split second but he was very sure he saw something like a figure passing by. He hurried over and peered out into the dark corridor and held the lamp aloft but he saw nothing. He felt a sudden shudder and the strangest sensation that he was being watched.

“Baekhyun?” he called out and his voice echoed back at him. There was silence and he retreated back into the room feeling a bit uneasy. He resolved to finish cleaning that room as quickly as possible. When he locked the gate behind him as he left the manor for the night he dared to glance up at the house and the darkened windows as if expecting to see someone looking back at him. The thought made him shudder though he knew he was being a bit silly. The master was probably home, but that did still not explain seeing a shadowy figure dart past the door and disappear into the darkness.

When Minseok returned the following night he felt a bit apprehensive as he was alone again. He’d mistakenly told Junmyeon about the incident, and as he was very superstitious he was wholly convinced that it was a ghost. Minseok did not believe in ghosts, and he never failed to make fun of Junmyeon for being so scared of them despite claiming to be agonistic. But now as he walked quietly down the passage to the next room he could not help but glance over his shoulder. Junmyeon also insisted that Minseok wear his crucifix and now he felt rather stupid for agreeing to it as it only made him feel more paranoid.

When he entered the room he had to open the windows again to beat the dust out of the white sheets covering the furniture. But Minseok was pleasantly surprised to discover that beneath one of the sheets was a black grand piano. Although it had been protected from the dust it was in dire need of polishing. Minseok pressed down on a white key and he winced from the jarring sound it made. It was awfully out of tune. He thought it was a shame that the piano had been left to gather dust.

Once he had cleared the room of all the sheets, bundling them up on the floor to be washed, he spotted something tucked away between a bookshelf and a table. It was a violin case and Minseok could not resist and carefully opened it. The lack of use and care has caused the strings to snap and the bridge had collapsed. While Minseok could do nothing for the piano except polish it, he felt something deeply personal for the violin because he’d played the instrument all throughout his childhood.

He brushed his fingers over the dark wood and smiled as he remembered the afternoons he’d spent in lessons with some of the vampire children. They’d made an awful sound akin to wailing cats when they first started but as the years passed their skills grew with daily practice. Minseok was so lost in thought that he did not notice the wind blowing through the open window until the door burst open. Again he could have sworn he saw something pass by the open doorway and he felt his hair stand on end.

He decided that enough was enough and took up his gas lamp and marched out the room. He could not carry on like this thinking he was seeing things because he would lose his mind. Minseok searched through every room on the first floor, finding nothing but more work that lay waiting for him. He went up to the second floor and started searching there too. He found rooms that appeared to have been used as they were not dusty or covered in sheets, but most importantly he discovered a large library. That definitely remained in use but he found no one there so he did not linger. Minseok wasn’t entirely sure what he was searching for, but he had to be sure that there was not a ghost or some random person in the house.

He hesitantly approached the left wing. As he had not heard anything that evening he assumed that the master was not in, but he knocked on the door nonetheless. He knocked twice and waited for a response but none came and he reached out to open the door.

“You don’t need to clean in there.”

A sudden voice made Minseok shriek and he jumped around, nearly dropping his lamp, and he came face-to-face with a vampire. He was slightly taller than Minseok, and he wore what appeared to be an oversized flamboyant dressing gown. His long black hair was rather unkempt and obscured most of his face, but Minseok was more focused on the red eyes staring at him.

They stared at each other for a moment before Minseok realised that the man was the owner of the house. The vampire was his employer.

“I’m sorry, master,” he said quickly as he bowed. “I did not know you were here.”

He stared at Minseok and said nothing, but then Minseok noticed how his eyes fixated on the silver crucifix gleaming on his chest. Minseok stiffened and suddenly felt very stupid and he cursed himself and Junmyeon. Although Junmyeon did not share the sentiment and only wore it out of habit, it was common knowledge that those who wore crucifixes were adamantly against vampires. It was an outward symbol of hatred and fear. Minseok did not know if he should say something or leave.

“How long have you been working here?” the vampire asked. His voice was rather deep yet there was no tone of emotion/ Minseok dared to look up at him and saw that his face was impassive but the shadowy darkness cast his features into sharp relief. The ends of his lips curled up ever so slightly in a cat-like way even though he did not smile.  
“Nearly a month, master,” Minseok replied.  
“And are you content working here?”  
“Yes, master.”  
“Are you content even if your master is a vampire?”

Minseok blinked in surprise. The vampire’s eyes were sharp though his expression remained unchanged.  
“This…this isn’t mine,” Minseok said quickly and he reached up to push the cross beneath his shirt. “I’m not prejudiced against vampires.”  
“I would not expect you to say anything different while cornered in a dark passageway, all alone,” the vampire said and he took a step closer to Minseok. “Straighten up. Let me get a good look at you.”

Minseok stood up straight and dared to meet his eyes. He desperately hoped that he had not offended him, but he was not afraid despite his words. He took in Minseok’s appearance with a piercing gaze as though he was gauging him out for any dishonesty. Minseok wanted to say that he was being truthful but it was disrespectful to speak out of turn so he stood still and silent.

“What is your name?”  
“Kim Minseok.”  
“Baekhyun has told me nothing of you,” he muttered with a sigh. “I suppose he told you to stay away from the cellar. You know that’s where my blood is stored right?”  
Minseok was not surprised, now that he thought of it, as vampires often used cold damp basements to store their supplies of blood.  
“I know now,” he said with a shrug. Jongdae stared at him as if trying to look for signs of fear or horror that he kept blood in the basement.

“How old are you? You don’t look much older than Sehun.”  
“I’m twenty,” Minseok said. He contained an amused chuckle when the vampire’s eyes widened in surprise.  
“Oh, I see.”

He stepped back to stare at Minseok again.  
“You are allowed to resign, you know. I understand if you do not want to work for a vampire.”  
“I really don’t mind at all, master,” Minseok said. “I’m really not prejudiced.”

The vampire narrowed his eyes as if trying to search for a lie hidden in his words. Minseok dared to offer him a smile to try and convince him.  
“Then why do you wear that?” he asked finally, his eyes darting to Minseok’s chest.  
“Uh, my friend is very superstitious…and he, well both of us, thought that this – your – house was haunted by a ghost,” Minseok said in a small voice and he felt the blood creeping up his neck out of sheer embarrassment. The vampire narrowed his eyes slightly though there was a hint of curiosity in his gaze.

“Really? I’m sorry if the house makes you feel uneasy. Like I said, you are free to resign.”  
Minseok shook his head.  
“No, no. It’s alright. I was just being silly,” he said. “I’m sorry for disturbing you, master.”  
“Well, then, at least we have finally met. Goodnight,” the vampire said with some awkwardness. He nodded at Minseok and he bowed in return. Then he stole away into his room without another word, leaving Minseok to stare at the door in bewilderment.

That evening when he returned home he shook Junmyeon awake to tell him that his employer was actually an awkward and reclusive vampire.

“A vampire?” he said thoughtfully. “Well, that makes sense about why you hardly see him. I guess he prefers the hiding away in the dark.”  
“That is such a stereotype, Junmyeon,” Minseok said and he rolled his eyes. “You know as well as I do that they’re not all like that.”  
“I know, but he seems very stereotypical,” Junmyeon said with a shrug. “Can I have my crucifix back? It feels weird not wearing it.”  
“You’re not even religious,” Minseok said with a laugh as he threw the necklace at him. “Still, I’d like to know if he was the weird figure I saw while I was cleaning.”

When Baekhyun finally returned to the house the following day he cornered Minseok in the kitchen.  
“I told you not to go to Jongdae’s room if he was home – “  
“Jongdae? As in Prince Kim Jongdae?” Minseok interjected, surprised to hear such a name, and Baekhyun gasped and clasped his hands to his mouth.  
“Oh, Minseok, please don’t tell anyone,” he said frantically. “If word gets out that the prince of the Kim Household lives in such a pigsty then we’ll never hear the end of it.”

Minseok burst out laughing because Baekhyun looked as though he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. While the ruling nobility had been replaced by a constitutional government two hundred years ago, many still retained the tradition and titles. There were just less than one hundred nobles, vampires and humans, scattered all over the country. They did not participate in the governing of the country but they still held a small degree of power in regards to parliamentary meetings, and the vampire nobles were still highly revered amongst the Vampire Council. The names of nobles were well-known to just about everyone, regardless of whether or not they actually did anything, and Minseok knew most of their names. He did not anything about Prince Kim Jongdae other than his title, but he was surprised that he was actually working for him

“Minseok please promise you won’t tell anyone!”  
“Who on earth am I going to tell?” he said, still laughing, even though he would definitely tell Junmyeon everything. He was his best friend after all. “I’m just a bit shocked, really. And also the place isn’t that filthy.”  
“Wait till you see the basement,” Sehun piped in from where he read a book with his feet propped up on the table.  
“Why didn’t you tell me who he was?” Minseok asked Baekhyun as he swatted Sehun’s feet off the table.  
“Well, we wanted to see how long you’d last,” he admitted. “Jongdae is the final test before anyone becomes a permanent member of staff. We can’t hire people who are scared of vampires.”  
“Did he interrogate you about me? He sounded rather annoyed that you hadn’t told him anything,” Minseok said with a smug smirk. Baekhyun pursed his lips.  
“Just get back to work. The house should finally be clean before the end of the year, at this rate.”

Minseok had not seen Jongdae since their meeting in the left wing, though now he was less jumpy whenever he was alone in the house and he heard strange sounds. He did not expect a vampire prince of all people to be so socially reclusive and a bit eccentric, but he decided that it wasn’t really something he needed to dwell on. Kim Jongdae was his master and Minseok was his servant so it was none of his business to think about the prince’s habits.

Minseok managed to gather some money to buy new violin strings and rosin for the bow and that was his chief occupation outside of cleaning the house. He did not tell Junmyeon as he felt a bit guilty spending money that could have been spent on food, but fixing the violin was something deeply personal to him. He could not bear to see it in its current state. So once he had finished cleaning a room on the first floor he crept back into the room containing the piano. He was already stepping out of line by interfering with it, so he did not dare to sit on the couch as he opened the case. He crouched on the floor and got to work repairing the strings and bridge and polishing the wood.

Minseok smiled proudly as he held up the violin to the light of his lamp. It looked brand new and he could see his distorted reflection in the shining wood. He picked up the bow after thoroughly preparing it with rosin and started to tune the instrument. He knew that the servants would not hear him from the kitchen but he just hoped that Jongdae would not hear him from above with his acute vampire hearing. He finished tuning it and to test it out he played a simple chromatic scale.

It echoed loudly in the room so he hastened to pack it away, but Minseok felt a swell of pride in his chest as he left the room and returned to his cleaning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vampire Jongdae saved Halloween 2018 and he was a sign from god that I should continue this fic.


	3. Chapter 3

As the weeks went by the political and interspecies tensions seemed to worsen by the day. Two ministers had resigned from government on account of being involved with illegal dissident groups and protests were springing up all over the country. Minseok could not walk down the street without seeing police tearing down bright red posters that had been secretly put up in the night by anti-vampire groups. At the factory red pamphlets were passed beneath desks and behind corners from someone with an inside connection to a group. On both the posters and the pamphlets there was the prominent symbol of a crucifix. Minseok tried to stay quiet and distance himself from all of it, but his fellow workers interpreted it as him being against their struggle and siding with vampires.

He and Junmyeon were queuing to punch their timecards at the end of a tiring day when someone in the line started muttering very loudly about what he thought of vampires.

“Disgusting monsters the lot of them!” he spat. “It’s high time we burnt them out the country!”

There was a murmur of agreement and Junmyeon and Minseok exchanged glances. They remained silent as they moved through the queue, but a lot more people started to complain. The complaints ranged from things that were rather valid according to Minseok, such as the unfair social hierarchies and inequalities, but such things were the fault of the government and not every vampire in the country. Then the complaints were aimed at humans who liked vampires and who, worst of all, willingly gave blood.

“Traitors! That’s what they are! They should also be rounded up and burnt out!”  
“It’s disgusting! They’re selling themselves to those monsters!”

The people standing behind them got rather rowdy and Junmyeon moved closer to Minseok and clasped his hand. Minseok grit his teeth and kept his cool because he knew it would not end well if he told them all to shut up.

Once they were finally out of the factory the loud complaints did not end. Minseok and Junmyeon tried to walk as fast as possible without being obvious and they were so close to the gates until he heard someone calling after them.

“Him? Minseok? He’s one of _them_ , don’t you know?”  
“Kim Minseok! Don’t you know when one of your superiors is talking to you?”

Minseok bit his lip and stopped walking and slowly turned to see the group of men addressing him. One of them was his supervisors and they were accompanying a new employee. He was a teenage boy around Sehun’s age and he stared at Minseok with wide eyes.

“His clan sold themselves like the traitors they are. It’s in his dirty blood to be a traitor, isn’t it?”  
Minseok narrowed his eyes and Junmyeon tightened his grip on his hand.  
“Look at him, Jongin, he’s not even denying it,” the supervisor spat. “You’d do best to stay away from him. His family probably whored themselves out to vampires too.”

Minseok did not realise that he tore himself out of Junmyeon’s grip and he did not hear his friend calling after him. He hardly noticed the five strides he took to cross the ground before he punched the man square in the face. He stumbled over onto his back but Minseok barely had time to think about his actions before the group suddenly attacked him. They hit his face and kicked his sides when they forced him to the ground and he barely had time to fight back. Junmyeon must have managed to run off in search of a cop on duty because it was not long before the men were pulled off him. He felt Junmyeon pull him up by the arms though he struggled to stand. His nose gushed blood and he had a split lip.

He was blamed for starting the fight but no arrests were made. The cops just threatened them all to stay out of trouble because they had enough on their hands already. The men cursed at Minseok and Junmyeon and vowed to take it up with their boss. Minseok did not care and he allowed Junmyeon to steer him away. The only thing that bothered him was the fearful look in Jongin’s young eyes when he looked at him.

“Dear God, are you alright?” Junmyeon said frantically once they had stepped out of sight.  
“I’m fine,” Minseok muttered. He still felt the anger burning through his veins but there was nothing he could do about it. He never lost his temper but hearing them talk about his family like that made him livid. Junmyeon checked him over anxiously by pulling up his shirt to see his bruises and touching his face where it bled and while Minseok knew he was just being a concerned friend he pushed him away.

“I’m going to be late for work. I’ll see you later,” he said. The look on Junmyeon’s face made him feel slightly guilty but at that moment he wanted to be alone.

Minseok managed to get a glimpse of his reflection on a shop window as he passed by and he grimaced. He made sure to pull his hat low over his face and avoid looking at anyone as he travelled on the tram and on foot. Even as he stepped into the kitchen of the manor he kept his head down but it was impossible to hide his face from the four boys.

“Evening, Minseok – what happened to your face?!”  
Baekhyun’s shriek made him wince and before he could fight them off Baekhyun and Chanyeol dragged him into a chair and pulled off his hat.  
“Are you okay? What happened?” Chanyeol cried.  
“Just some trouble at work,” Minseok said dismissively. “It’s nothing.”  
“What kind of trouble?”  
“Who started it?”  
Chanyeol, Sehun, and Baekhyun were awfully loud and Minseok was actually still very sore.

“You can’t clean the house looking like that,” Kyungsoo said softly. He pushed Chanyeol out the way and gently took Minseok’s hand and pulled him to his feet. He led him to a small bathroom and gave him a wet cloth and some iodine.  
“Thanks, Kyungsoo,” Minseok said appreciatively. He suddenly felt very bad for pushing Junmyeon away. Now that his anger had disappeared it was replaced by sadness.

He looked at his reflection in the mirror and sighed. The blood had congealed on his cut lip and his eyes were starting to bruise an ugly purple. He pulled open his shirt to see that there was also some minor bruising on his chest and sides. Once he’d applied some first aid he changed into his uniform and quietly joined everyone at the table for supper.

It was very quiet and he felt their eyes burning into him as they stared. Minseok had not told them about his family history and as he was yet to actually sign an official contract, he planned on delaying it for as long as possible. But when he looked at Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s wide eyes, and Kyungsoo’s frown, and Sehun biting his bottom lip out of worry, he felt that they were genuinely concerned for him. He took a deep breath before speaking.

“I’m from a blood patron clan,” he said and he paused but no one gasped or said anything. If anything they looked surprised so he continued. “Everyone at work seems to think I’m a traitor. And I really don’t care what they think, but I won’t let them insult my family so I lost my temper. I just hope I don’t get fired tomorrow.”

He took a large spoonful of his rice and waited for someone to say something, to say he was in fact a traitor and that he deserved no less than being beaten up. But to his astonishment Baekhyun reached across the table and gently clasped his arm and gave him a small smile.

“You can trust us, Minseok,” he said kindly. “We all willingly work for Jongdae, you know. We don’t hate vampires either.”  
“Jongdae…the master saw Chanyeol and I begging on the street,” Sehun said quietly. “So he stopped and offered us jobs.” Minseok’s eyes widened.  
“Are you both orphans?” he asked and they nodded.  
“And Baekhyun and Kyungsoo ran away from their homes,” Chanyeol explained. “Jongdae saw them at a train station trying to pickpocket.”  
“Baekhyun got us caught,” Kyungsoo said. “If it wasn’t for Jongdae we’d be in jail somewhere.”

Baekhyun grinned widely at Minseok.  
“So, we may not be the best servants,” he said.  
“Speak for yourself,” Kyungsoo interjected.  
“But you can trust as your friends, Minseok,” he continued as though Kyungsoo had not spoken. Minseok looked at them and he smiled, feeling rather touched.  
“Thanks,” he said. “I should get to work now.”  
“Don’t over exert yourself!” Chanyeol called after him as he left the kitchen.

Now Minseok felt rather emotional as he trudged up the staircase to the first floor. He was touched by Baekhyun’s words, as well as the fact that he could actually call the boys his friends. Before meeting Junmyeon he’d had no friends after moving to the city because all of his childhood friends were vampires. Now he thought about his friends, long gone never to be seen again, and he thought about how rude he was to Junmyeon. He couldn’t help it, he was just so angry because those bastards had insulted his family. But his anger was not a justification for pushing Junmyeon away when he was just being concerned.

He thought of his mother and father and his heart ached. As he had been the only child they had spoiled him unconditionally and now he dearly wished that he could go back in time. He thought of all the dreams he frequently had where his family was alive and well and it made him feel worse because it reminded him just how much he missed them and how displaced he was in the world without them. Times had changed and he had no place amongst vampires or humans. He reached out to clutch at the moon pendant around his neck and a small sob escaped his lips as tears obscured his vision.

“I smell blood. What happened?”

Jongdae suddenly burst into the room and nearly ripped the door off the hinges. Minseok gasped in fright and quickly scrambled to his feet from the floor. Jongdae took two steps into the room and froze and stared at Minseok with a slightly alarmed look and Minseok remembered that he was crying. He hastily wiped his eyes with the back of his hand but Jongdae had already seen.

“What happened to you? Were you injured?” Jongdae asked and he slowly took a step forward. Minseok kept his head down.  
“It’s nothing, master. I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” he said.  
“It certainly doesn’t look like nothing. Your lip is bleeding, you know,” Jongdae said. Minseok gingerly put his thumb to his lip and winced from the pain. He glanced around for something to wipe it with when Jongdae stepped closer and held out a white silk handkerchief.

“Here,” he said. “I can’t have you bleeding all over my floor. It’s rather distracting.” Minseok took it and held it to his bleeding lip.  
“Thank you. I’m sorry, master.”  
“Stop apologising,” Jongdae said gently and his lips curled into a small smile. He watched Minseok dab his lip for a moment in silence. “Are you okay?”

Minseok glanced up to meet his red eyes and they shone brightly in the dim light of the lamp and his smile was gone. He knew that Jongdae was not talking about his bruises. His heart still felt rather pained at the thought of his family and his situation but he certainly could not tell Jongdae about all of that so he nodded.

“Well, I’ll leave you, then,” Jongdae said with a nod. Minseok bowed as he left and he felt rather embarrassed and berated himself for not pulling himself together. He wiped his eyes and returned to his work and tried to distract himself with wiping the dusty floor.

When he left the manor near midnight Minseok happened to glance up at the house while he locked the gate. He thought he saw a curtain in the topmost window move slightly, though he could not be sure because it was so dark. He thought nothing more of it because he was rather sore and exhausted.

He arrived home to dark apartment and after washing and changing he crept over to Junmyeon’s bed and sat on the edge of the mattress. Junmyeon stirred and peered through an open eyelid at Minseok.

“Minseok?”  
“Junmyeon? I’m sorry,” he murmured. He reached out to touch his shoulder. Junmyeon sprung up and wrapped his arms around Minseok and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.  
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice muffled in Minseok’s shoulder. Minseok smiled at his friend as he was always incredibly affectionate.  
“Hmm. I’m really sorry I was rude to you,” he said. “But now let me go because you’re killing me.”

But Junmyeon pulled Minseok down onto the small single bed and they both burst out laughing when they accidentally elbowed each other. Despite their mutual exhaustion Minseok lay there close beside Junmyeon and they talked late into the night before falling asleep.

* * *

Minseok was incredibly tired and sore the next morning and his face looked terrible. His long bangs could only cover so much, but he had to push his hair back for work so hiding his face was not an option. In their morning rush, Minseok realised that he had not washed Jongdae’s handkerchief so he quickly soaked it in the sink.

“What’s this?” Junmyeon asked.  
“Jongdae gave it to me for my bleeding lip,” Minseok said absent-mindedly over his tea. When he’d told Junmyeon that his employer was also in fact Prince Kim Jongdae his reaction had been a small shriek of surprise. Minseok swore him to secrecy and Junmyeon never failed to gape in wonder at the mention of the vampire as though he was some famous celebrity. Minseok thought he tended to romanticise things a bit too much because while the names of nobles were commonly known, their titles were mostly just titles anyway.

“Oh, that’s nice of him,” Junmyeon said. “So did you tell him about your clan?”  
“Well, no, but I told the others,” Minseok said. “I don’t want to bother him with my trivial life. I’m sure he has other things on his mind.”

Minseok worked hard to scrub out the blood until the handkerchief was bright white again and he carefully folded it in his coat pocket. He dreaded arriving at work and sure enough, as soon as he and Junmyeon arrived, they were summoned to their boss’ office before they could even punch their timecards.

“You’re lucky I’m not firing you,” he said as he glared at Minseok. “It’s only because we need every man we can get if we want to take this factory back from the bastard monster who owns it.”  
Minseok said nothing.  
“And it seems like you two are late for work,” his boss said with a glance at the clock on the wall. “So you won’t be punching your timecards.”  
“What? You called us here!” Minseok spluttered before he could stop himself. Junmyeon hissed at him to shut up but it was too late. His boss got to his feet and marched around his desk and grabbed Minseok by the collar. He was far taller and bigger than Minseok and now he felt a spike of fear as the man glared at him.  
“If you speak back to me like that again I’ll make sure you can’t work anywhere ever again. Do you understand, boy?”

Minseok nodded but he shook him by the collar.  
“Yes, sir.”  
“Now get back to work.”

He nearly threw Minseok out the office and he scrambled out with Junmyeon close behind him.  
“Are you okay?” he asked anxiously. “What did he mean by taking back the factory?”  
“God knows,” Minseok muttered. “I hope they don’t try some kind of revolt because then you and I will be stuck in the middle of it.”

They received a lot of glares on the way to their workstations but Minseok hardly cared. He just wanted the day to end. After working for a while he became aware that someone was staring at him. He really was not in the mood so he quickly whipped around with his eyes narrowed, only to make eye-contact with Jongin. The boy seemed startled by Minseok and he quickly averted his eyes. Minseok sighed and shook his head. He really hoped that he had not already been brainwashed by the other workers.

After arriving at the manor and eating dinner, Minseok sought out Jongdae in his chambers in the left wing of the second floor. He only had to knock on the door once before he answered. Minseok was surprised to see that Jongdae was not wearing his flamboyant black dressing gown and was instead wearing slim black pants and a white shirt with lace trimmings. Though still tousled his hair was swept out his face, exposing shining earrings in his lobes. He did not seem surprised to see Minseok as he probably knew it was him before opening the door.

“Good evening, Minseok,” he said. He did not smile.  
“Good evening, master,” Minseok replied with a bow. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but I want to return your handkerchief.”

He held it out for him and for a moment Jongdae seemed hesitant. He finally took it and his cool fingertips brushed against Minseok’s.  
“You are very diligent,” he said as he pocketed the handkerchief. Now that his hair wasn’t in his face Minseok noticed that his eyebrows tilted downwards slightly, giving him a very sweet and empathetic look.  
“Thank you for your kindness, master,” Minseok said. He waited to be dismissed but Jongdae only stared at him for a moment.  
“You fixed my violin.”

Although it was a statement there was a hint of curiosity in his voice, but Minseok was so taken aback that he was speechless for a moment. He felt his face flush.  
“I – yes – I’m sorry if it was out of turn, but I couldn’t bear to see it broken,” he spluttered.  
“Well, some might say it was very out of turn, but I’m pleasantly surprised,” Jongdae said with a hint of amusement in his voice. “I’ll reimburse you for the strings and the rosin.”

Minseok glanced up in surprise.  
“Please don’t, master,” he said quickly.  
“Nonsense. I’ll do it now.”

Before Minseok could attempt to protest Jongdae darted back into the darkness of his room.

“Don’t just stand there like a doorman,” Jongdae called, but Minseok was very hesitant to step inside. He took a cautious step through the doorway and the light of a few candles gave the room a dim glow. He held up his lamp and saw that it was very spacious as it was the master bedroom of the house. He was surprised at how neat it was too, as the bed was made and there was nothing out of place. But Minseok’s sharp eyes did spot some cobwebs in the corners and some dust atop the tall curtains, and he made a mental note to clean it later. Jongdae rummaged through a drawer of a desk before he pulled out a little coin purse and tipped some gold coins out onto his palm.

“This should be enough,” he said as he held out the money for Minseok.  
“I really can’t, master.”  
Jongdae raised his eyebrow and the corners of his lip curled up even more than usual.  
“Well, as your master I insist that you do. It’s an order,” he said. Minseok hesitantly accepted the money and pocketed it.

“Violin wasn’t really for me,” Jongdae said as returned the purse to the drawer and started to touch up his hair in a large mirror. “It hurt my hands, so I preferred the piano,” he said with a laugh. It was a pleasant sound to Minseok as it was surprisingly cheerful.  
“I’m surprised you knew how to fix it.”  
“Well, I played it for most of my childhood,” Minseok said. Jongdae turned to look at him with raised eyebrows and his lips were slightly parted in surprise, revealing his pointed incisors.  
“You really are full of surprises, Minseok.”

Minseok smiled shyly and looked at his feet. The vampire was distinctly pleased and Minseok did not expect such a response. He heard Jongdae fumbling around in his drawers and Minseok thought it was time for him to leave, but he had to wait to be dismissed first so he merely stood there. He could not help but stare at Jongdae a little while he continued getting ready. He seemed to be a very meticulous person as he moved about and once he moved something he put it back in its proper place.

“Do you want to ask me something?” Jongdae said, pausing in the dismantling of his wardrobe in search of a jacket. Minseok held back an amused smile at his slight awkwardness.  
“I’m waiting to be dismissed, master,” he said.  
“Oh, right, sorry, you can leave,” he said quickly. Minseok bowed and left the room and he allowed himself to smile once he was back cleaning on the first floor.

He brought up Jongdae’s awkward behaviour in the kitchen the next time he made an appearance and Chanyeol and Baekhyun laughed.  
“I think that locking yourself up for twelve years does that to you,” Baekhyun said. “We’ve only been working for him for a few years, but before then he hadn’t left the house in twelve years.”

Minseok gaped in disbelief. He could hardly imagine such a thing.  
“I think he had a mid-life crisis or something,” Chanyeol said. “We, er, it’s easy to eavesdrop on his guests when they come over, and judging by what they said, he just disappeared from society. He didn’t see anyone or want to be seen.”  
“Mid-life? How old is he?” Sehun said with a raised eyebrow. “Surely he passed mid-life decades ago.”  
“He’s actually pretty young,” Baekhyun said thoughtfully. “I think maybe one-hundred-and -something. It was his birthday last month, in fact, though he just moped in his room all day.”  
“You all should have cheered him up,” Minseok said, as it felt like the most natural thing that he would have done, but the boys laughed at him.

“Trust me, when he goes into his moods we stay well away from the second floor,” Baekhyun said. “You know before we hired you he had been away in the north of the country? That’s because he was avoiding the summer. He was hiding in his summer home, which is actually in the mountains where it’s always snowing.”  
“He’s so…cliché,” Minseok remarked. “But he seems to socialise often, doesn’t he?”  
“I think it’s more of a social obligation,” Baekhyun said. “As a prince he has to keep up a lot of networks and show face. And his disappearance wasn’t taken well by a lot of the noble vampires.”  
“They think he’s rude,” Chanyeol said with a smirk.  
“How do you all know all of this? I can’t imagine him sitting down at the table here and swapping gossip,” Minseok said and Chanyeol and Baekhyun exchanged proud smirks.  
“Like we said, it’s easy to eavesdrop. “Whenever he has guests we take our jobs as footmen very seriously.”

Minseok rolled his eyes as he imagined Chanyeol and Baekhyun dressed in their formal servants clothes with their ears pressed against closed doors.  
“I thought that he didn’t really need to do anything if he’s a prince,” Minseok continued. “They don’t have much power, do they?”  
“Well, Jongdae is the last living person from his household,” Baekhyun said in a quieter voice. “So he’s had to take up the role of representing the household in parliament and in the Vampire Councils. They meet regularly, though now I suppose it’ll be more frequent considering current events…”

Minseok was surprised and slightly saddened to hear Baekhyun’s words. He initially thought that Jongdae was just a typical reclusive vampire with far too much money. Then he’d learnt just how kind he was as he had taken in the boys and given them jobs. Baekhyun also told him that Jongdae paid for them to live together in a small yet nice house not too far from the manor. Minseok also discovered that he paid for them to attend private tutoring to make up for the gap in their educations even though he had absolutely no obligation to do so. It was sad to think that Jongdae was forced into taking up his role as prince. He knew that during the last war many vampire clans had been entirely decimated, ending the bloodline forever. Their blood patron clans were often killed with them in horrendous ways. Minseok wondered about the clan that had served Jongdae’s family and he supposed that they were probably all dead.

Minseok hated to think that there was the possibility of another war but recent events were not comforting. It was only a matter of time before either a human or a vampire was killed in the recent conflicts and attacks. Envoys and ambassadors from neighbouring countries were constantly visiting to try and assess the situation and encourage negotiations and peace talks.

The workers at the factory were becoming a lot bolder and more vocal about their opinions and people glared at Minseok wherever he went. Sometimes people purposely shoved him when they passed him but all he could do was put his head down and carry on. His bruises had nearly faded but his lip still bore a red cut from the incident.

Now that October was drawing to an end the nights were becoming much longer and colder. Minseok woke up in the dark and came home in the dark. Sometimes when the manor was completely empty he felt a little gloomy working in the dark all alone, but he knew he desperately needed the job. It was especially important now that Junmyeon was showing symptoms of flu. He was pale and fatigued but insisted that he was fine whenever Minseok suggested taking him to the doctor.

* * *

A respite from worrying and stress came in the form of a package that Sehun begrudgingly hauled up to the kitchen on his bicycle. It wasn’t very large but it was rather heavy, a fact he reminded everyone about, when he tossed it onto the kitchen table. The kitchen was always the brightest and warmest place in the manor and they all sat together comfortably eating their supper.

“Why doesn’t the master just have things delivered to the house?” Minseok asked, moving his bowl out the way just in time before Sehun could send his supper flying across the kitchen.  
“He’s doesn’t like people knowing where he lives,” Baekhyun said with a shrug. “Stop whining, Sehun.” Despite his scolding he gave Sehun an affectionate ruffle of his hair.  
“Is this the stuff he ordered last week?” Chanyeol asked curiously as he reached out to inspect the package. “Oh! It is!”

He exchanged glances with Kyungsoo and Baekhyun for a second, but before Minseok could decipher it Chanyeol pushed the package towards him.

“Take this to the music room on your way up,” he said. “The master said you’re to unpack it as well.”  
“Oh, alright,” Minseok said as he finished off his supper. He picked up the package and gasped when he felt how heavy it was and Baekhyun laughed at him but Sehun pinched him.

Minseok left them to have a pinching war and hobbled up the stairs and into the music room. When he opened the parcel he was surprised to see that it was just a lot of sheet music books. He skimmed through the titles and saw that while most were for piano, there were some for violin too. Minseok had not seen sheet music for ages, and he was glad that he had not forgotten his knowledge of music theory. He hummed the music to himself as he read over the notes and he itched to test it out on the violin. He told himself that he would just play one bar, as he really couldn’t resist, and he quickly took out the violin and tuned it. There was no music stand so he just laid the book open on the table and stood over it, staring intently at the notes as he softly plucked the strings.

One bar turned into two, and then into three, and then Minseok found himself playing the entire song. His skills were rather rusty so he had to go over each bar a few times before he got the hang of it. It was Hungarian Dance No.4, and he knew the tune well once he’d managed to decipher it. He’d played it before, but he had never tackled Hungarian Dance No.5, and he could not resist trying it out.

Minseok did not notice time passing until he struck a wrong note, and while huffing in frustration he happened to glance at the clock on the wall. He gasped in horror and quickly packed everything away before hurrying to a room he was supposed to be cleaning. In his haste to hurry out the room he hardly noticed a figure standing in the shadows, until the light of his flailing gas lamp caught it and made him jump. He stopped, saw nothing and thought nothing more of it, and sprinted down the corridor whilst berating himself.

He was busy beating the dust out of curtains in a guest bedroom when he heard a knocking on the door. He bowed when Jongdae entered, dressed in his usual dressing gown with his hair messy as ever, but Minseok noticed that he fiddled with the hems of his long sleeves.

“Minseok, I wanted to ask how you were,” he said. “I mean, you were injured, and I wanted to ask if you were better. Though I can see you’re still a bit bruised so I suppose I’ve answered my own question.”

Minseok stared at him because if he was not mistaken then the vampire was actually flustered, though he could not figure out why. He pulled down the cloth covering nose and mouth and smiled at his master.

“I am better, thank you,” he said. Jongdae nodded without smiling and he stared at his feet for a moment. Minseok did not know what to do.  
“It’s Halloween next week,” Jongdae said matter-of-factly.  
“So it is,” Minseok replied awkwardly. Jongdae took a deep intake of breath.  
“I hope I’m not being unreasonable, but, well, I’ll be hosting a party because that’s just what vampires do,” he said, nearly tripping over his words and Minseok smiled to encourage him to continue and also because he had fond memories of the Halloween parties he’d attended in his youth. “I would like to ask if you could possibly speed up your cleaning schedule. It’s a rather last-minute occasion but I have to do it, and I need the house to be spotless because I’ll never hear the end of it if they find as much as one cobweb.”

Minseok felt his face flush with embarrassment because he had been playing around with a violin instead of cleaning.  
“Yes, of course, master. I’m sorry I’ve fallen behind,” he said.  
“I did not mean to offend you –“  
“You didn’t – “

They stammered over one another and Minseok turned his red face away. Even the room was dim Jongdae would definitely be aware of the blood in his face.

“Right. Sorry to disturb you. Goodnight,” Jongdae said quickly before darting out the room without giving Minseok a chance to respond.

* * *

While Minseok knew that he always liked cleaning, he now made war on the manor house with a zeal that he did not know he possessed. He made his suppers short and sweet and Sehun gave him a look of alarm when he tied a cloth over the lower half of his face before marching out the kitchen holding a duster as though it was a weapon.

He washed curtains and cushion covers like his life depended on it and he beat the dust out of furniture as if it owed him money. He worked slightly later than usual and sometimes Baekhyun would have to sternly tell him to leave. Despite being so busy Minseok could not help but sometimes wonder about the violin and what other sheet music was available for him to peek at if he ever had a spare minute. Sometimes he had a few minutes where he could pluck a melody for a moment.

When the time came to tackle the master bedroom Minseok was well-prepared. Once again he only had to knock once until Jongdae opened the door. He seemed surprised to see Minseok there.

“Good evening, master,” he said as he bowed. “I’m here to clean your room.”  
“Oh, that isn’t necessary,” Jongdae said rather hastily. Minseok glanced past him into the room and raised an eyebrow.   
“There are a lot of cobwebs in the ceiling corners,” Minseok said. “And I can only imagine what it must look like behind the furniture.”  
“Did Baekhyun put you up to this?” Jongdae asked and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Minseok managed to keep a straight face.  
“Not at all,” he lied. Baekhyun and Minseok had discussed it earlier. “Now, please, master, I really have a lot of work to do.”

Jongdae reluctantly stepped aside to allow Minseok entry. As he started to clean he noticed Jongdae darting around to rearrange things. Minseok opened the windows and he gasped from the wintry air that tore into the room.

“Should I light a fire for you?” Jongdae said after a moment and Minseok realised that he had been watching him shiver.  
“Oh, I can do it,” he said, his teeth chattering, but Jongdae shook his head and darted out the room. He returned with Chanyeol who carried the firewood and he grinned at Minseok.

“You haven’t lit a fire in years, master,” Chanyeol remarked.  
“I don’t want Minseok to freeze to death,” Jongdae said and he threw himself onto the sofa with his face buried in a book. Chanyeol kept shooting Minseok sly grins and he had no idea what to make of them or of Jongdae’s weird behaviour. He was used to the vampire by now so he thought no more of it.

Chanyeol made a roaring fire, though he got a lot of dirt and old soot on the floor, and Minseok shooed him out with his duster before he could trample it into the carpet. All the while Jongdae remained sitting on the couch reading his book. Now as Minseok knelt down before the fireplace to sweep up the mess, he was closer to Jongdae and he noticed that the book was actually upside-down though he did not comment on it.

Although neither of them spoke the crackling fire and Minseok’s sounds of cleaning filled the silence and he eventually forgot that the vampire was in the room. In order to reach the cobwebs on the high ceiling Minseok had to stand on the desk. He cursed his shortness as he stood on his tip-toes and stretched his arm to sweep away all the webs and dust and he coughed when he accidentally inhaled it. In the midst of his coughing fit Minseok’s socked feet slipped on the wooden surface of the table and he lost his footing and slipped backwards. He barely had time to cry out as he fell because within a second Jongdae sprung out of his seat and caught him swiftly in his arms.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his eyes wide in alarm, and Minseok could only gape at him.  
“Y-yes, sorry, that was stupid of me,” he stammered. Their faces were close enough so that Minseok could spot a freckle on the bridge of Jongdae’s nose, as well as his own wide-eyed reflection in his bright red eyes. Jongdae quickly put him down on his feet and Minseok scrambled to bow to him.

“Be careful,” Jongdae said, sounding genuinely concerned. “Is that how you‘ve been reaching things all this time?”  
“Yes,” Minseok mumbled, blushing furiously when Jongdae’s face broke into a grin. Minseok was taken aback because it was a rather radiant sight in the dim room. His smile extended to his almond eyes and they curved into crescents. His pointed incisor teeth were exposed and he chuckled.  
“Well, ask Baekhyun for a step-ladder before you fall out a window,” he said. Minseok thought his master was far too amused about his height for someone who was not even that much taller than him but he withheld a comment and returned to his cleaning.

Due to slipping on the table Minseok had accidentally messed up everything on it. He rearranged the piles of books and papers and he realised that there was quite a lot of sheet music. Some was blank and some had been written on in messy black ink, only to be scratched out before more than five bars had been written.

“Master…do you write music?” Minseok asked slowly as he tried to decipher something legible between the scribbles.  
“Oh, yes, I suppose I used to,” Jongdae said. “You can throw all of that away, though. I haven’t managed to compose anything decent in years.” He looked very much like he wished Minseok had never discovered it and he fidgeted with his sleeves.  
“Are you sure? This one looks promising,” Minseok said as he took out a sheet that had not been entirely destroyed. “An Ode to…Moonlight? I can’t read it.”

Jongdae jumped up and snatched the paper out of Minseok’s hand.  
“Well, it’s atrocious. That’s all you need to know,” he said and he crumbled it into a ball before putting it back in Minseok’s hand. He looked rather irritated and Minseok took a step back and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry, master. I didn’t mean to intrude,” he said.  
“No, it’s alright. Just throw it away, Minseok,” Jongdae said with a small sigh. “Seeing it depresses me.”

Minseok gathered the sheet music into a neat pile and set it aside and resumed his cleaning. He felt guilty for annoying Jongdae, but he certainly was not going to throw away his compositions. Once he’d finally finished cleaning the room he bade his master goodnight and left. He noticed Jongdae seemed a bit subdued and merely nodded in response while he stared into the fireplace.

Minseok hurried down to the music room and shoved the sheet music inside the cover of one of the new violin music books. He could tell that Jongdae loved music and although he did not know the cause for his apparent disinterest, he felt some sort of inclination to help him get through it. It was most likely because of his own love of music but Minseok felt that it was deeply personal to him.

* * *

“Junmyeon, if I’m not mistaken, you actually look well,” Minseok said. It was a Sunday afternoon and the two of them were doing their usual word puzzles. Junmyeon rolled his eyes at him.  
“Ha ha. Very funny, Minseok,” he said. Minseok reached over to pinch his cheek.  
“You were looking so pale, but now there’s actually some colour in your face,” he said happily. “I noticed a bit more food in the kitchen. Did you buy it?”  
“Yeah, I need to eat well,” Junmyeon said with a smile. “I hope you don’t mind.”  
“No, not at all,” Minseok said. “I didn’t know we had enough money to spare,” he said thoughtfully and Junmyeon looked away. “Anyways, it’s really warm in here. Don’t you want to take off your jersey?”  
“No, I’m alright,” Junmyeon said quickly and he pulled his sleeves over his hands. Minseok thought he was being a bit odd but he thought nothing more about it. Minseok was just glad that for once his friend seemed healthy and well-fed.

* * *

It was Halloween night and it was pandemonium at the manor. When Minseok stepped into the kitchen he was surprised to see both Kyungsoo and Sehun working at the stove. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were running in and out with fine china and armfuls of tablecloths and drapes.

“Oh, Minseok, thank God! Jongdae decided to add another twenty people to the guest list this morning,” Baekhyun said, gasping in relief when he saw Minseok. “I need you to help me set up.”

Minseok quickly changed into his uniform and accompanied Baekhyun to the dining room. Chanyeol could not be trusted with setting the table as he was rather clumsy and there was an obscene amount of places to set at the long table. While vampires did not need to eat food, they could never resist showing off with expensive meats and alcohol whenever hosting a party.

“What a waste of food, that’s all I can say,” Baekhyun muttered as he set down the last wine glass. “They don’t even appreciate it.”  
“I knew many vampires who genuinely enjoyed food,” Minseok said thoughtfully. “It’s a bit of a stereotype that they all don’t eat.”  
“Alright, I’m not stereotyping, but he’s ordered enough wine to fill a lake,” Baekhyun said. “I doubt he’s actually a wine connoisseur.”  
“I hope you’re not gossiping about me,” Jongdae said as he marched through the double doors out of nowhere.

“Good evening, master,” Minseok and Baekhyun chorused.  
“I would never gossip about you,” Baekhyun added and Jongdae smirked at him. It was strange for Minseok to see Jongdae on the ground floor, no less so early in the evening.  
“I trust Sehun will also be footman tonight?” Jongdae asked and Baekhyun nodded. Then Jongdae turned his bright eyes on Minseok and he fiddled with the frilly lace cuff of his flamboyant shirt.  
“Minseok, I require your services tonight,” he said stiffly. Baekhyun gaped at the vampire in surprise.  
“I’ve never trained as a footman, master,” Minseok admitted. “I think I’d do more harm than good.”  
“No, I don’t mean that,” Jongdae said. “Just come with me.”

Baekhyun and Minseok exchanged bewildered glances before he hurried out after his master. To his surprise Jongdae led him to the music room. The curtains were open and the glossy surface of the piano gleamed in the light of the moon as it rose steadily in the dark sky. Jongdae took a deep breath before turning to Minseok.

“I understand that you play violin rather well,” he said and Minseok felt his heart jump into his throat. Jongdae noticed the mortified look on his face. “Please don’t apologise, I really enjoyed hearing you play. I wouldn’t have allowed it if I minded.”

Minseok opened his mouth and closed it again like a fish. He was rather speechless.  
“Anyways, I know this is very short notice, but I realise that I do need to entertain my guests tonight. I would appreciate it greatly if you performed for us.”

Minseok wanted to throw himself out the window in that moment and he cursed himself for being a busybody and for ever touching the damn violin in the first place.

“I – I’m flattered that you think I’m good enough to entertain your guests, master,” Minseok said. “But I haven’t performed in front of anyone since I was a child…”  
The look of disappointment on Jongdae’s face made his words die in his throat. Minseok took a deep breath. “Though, if you give me some time to practice then I can hopefully figure out something. When are they arriving?”  
“In about an hour,” Jongdae said and he bit his lip when Minseok widened his eyes in alarm. “You can play the Hungarian Dances. Those always go down well,” he said quickly. He hurried to the other side of the room and brought out the violin case and shoved it in Minseok’s arms.  
“I’m begging you, Minseok. Not as your master, but as a desperate fool who hasn’t planned a party like this in decades.”

As Minseok looked into his eyes and took in his earnest expression he felt that it was impossible to say no. So he nodded and opened the case and started tuning the instrument.  
“I wonder what they’ll say when they see a cleaner play Brahms,” Minseok muttered under his breath as he adjusted the shoulder rest.  
“Oh, well, I think we’ll just have to lie about that for tonight,” Jongdae said awkwardly. “I’ll tell them I’ve hired you privately.”  
“Oh…right,” Minseok said and he felt a little bit ashamed at his social position. It did not happen often, seeing as he only associated with other working-class people, but now he felt the stark differences between himself and Jongdae more clearly than ever. He never imagined that it would bother him.

He opened the book on the page of the song and looked around for somewhere to put the book. Jongdae quickly produced a dusty music stand that had been hidden in a cabinet.  
“Thank you,” Minseok said and he took up the bow. He got through the first part alright but for some reason Jongdae’s eyes made him nervous and his fingers fumbled on the strings.  
“If you have stage fright then you don’t have to,” Jongdae said quickly.  
“No. I don’t. I just need to practice,” Minseok said in a voice hard with determination. He felt like he needed to prove himself to Jongdae for some reason. He had to show him that the time he’d spent secretly playing the violin had not been time wasted. He steadied his nerves and focused as he started the song again.

He completed it without a mistake and swiftly moved onto the next song. He felt like he’d physically exerted himself when he was done and he sighed in relief. But when he turned to look at Jongdae he suddenly felt incredibly shy because he was staring at him with an awe-struck gaze with his lips parted in wonder.

“You’re very talented, Minseok,” he said. Minseok shook his head. “Don’t be humble. Anyway, I need you to change seeing as you’re pretending to be my private violinist.”  
“I don’t have anything else, though,” Minseok said quietly. He knew it was silly but he felt a bit ashamed at his social standing for a moment. Jongdae motioned for him to put down the instrument and follow him out the room. He led him to his bedroom, and Minseok was proud to see how clean it was, and he started to rummage through his drawers and wardrobe.

“I’m sure I have something from my youth that will fit you,” he muttered to himself. Minseok wanted to point out that he really was not that much bigger than him when he suddenly thrust a pair of black dress pants and a black shirt into his arms. He pushed Minseok in the direction of the en suite bathroom and shut the door behind him. Minseok stood still in shock for a moment.

“Master, I can’t see. There’s no light in here.”

The door opened and Jongdae placed a lamp inside. Minseok quickly changed out of his uniform and he raised an eyebrow at his reflection in the mirror. The pants were rather tight for his liking and too long at the ankles, and the shirt was very showy with a frilly neckpiece. He’d never particularly liked European clothing due to all the unnecessary buttons and frills.

“I look like a fool,” he said as he exited the bathroom. Jongdae looked him up and down and shook his head.  
“You just need some final touches,” he said dismissively. He knelt down in front of Minseok to roll up the hems of the pants and tucked them in such a way that they did not look too long for him. He took a hold of Minseok’s arm and led him over to the dressing table and he was surprised at how gentle his touch was as he sat him down on the cushioned chair. Jongdae made use of some sort of hair wax to style Minseok’s hair out of his face in a neat slicked back look, exposing his forehead and widow’s peak and it made him look rather sophisticated.

“I’ll have to cover that cut on your lip, if you don’t mind,” Jongdae said. Minseok shrugged because he accepted that it would look rather odd if he had a cut. Jongdae moved in front of him with a small pot of makeup in his hand. Minseok saw that it was a very faint sort of lip rouge that he had often seen Jongdae wearing on nights when he entertained. He pressed his index finger into it and gently smeared the product against Minseok’s lips. His touch was exceedingly gentle over the healed cut and Minseok was very aware of how warm his face was in comparison to Jongdae’s cool fingers. Jongdae stared at his lips in firm concentration as he gently dabbed on final touches before he stepped back.

“There. Fit for a vampire party,” Jongdae said with a warm smile. Minseok was surprised at his reflection though he was too embarrassed to look for long. Although it was more suitable for him than his usual working garb considering his upbringing, he felt a bit silly and somewhat out of place.  
“You can wait in the music room if you’d like.”  
“I’d prefer waiting with everyone else to calm myself,” Minseok admitted.  
“You haven’t had supper yet, have you? Go quickly, then,” Jongdae said, gently nudging Minseok off the chair. He bowed and thanked his master before hurrying out the room.

When he stepped into the kitchen there was an eruption of loud shrieking from the boys and whistling from Baekhyun.  
“Shut up,” Minseok muttered as he hid his blushing face in his bowl.  
“You look like a prince!” Chanyeol shouted and he exchanged a very mischievous grin with Sehun.  
“None of us knew you can play violin, Minseok!” Baekhyun said. “Why didn’t you say anything?”   
“I didn’t think it was necessary,” he muttered. He desperately wished they would stop making a fuss over him because he was afraid it would be too much for his nerves. He had never dressed up before in his adult life so it was a rather embarrassing experience for some reason. He remembered the lavish parties he’d attended, albeit briefly before bedtime, as a child. His parents would dress him in a smart silk outfit and he would be the talk of the party for a good portion of the night just because he looked so adorable.

While everyone else ran around finalising the meals and décor, Minseok waited impatiently and bounced his legs in agitation. Jongdae’s guests finally arrived and the cacophony filtered into the kitchen. He tried not to dwell on how many guests there were and instead tried to tell himself that he was just performing for Jongdae. He was glad that he had Kyungsoo for company. The boy had no more cooking to do and sat with Minseok just having pleasant conversation. Minseok always appreciated the boy’s quiet and calm attitude, but he did not appreciate how little he was doing to reassure him in that moment.

“I heard that some other nobles are here tonight,” Kyungsoo said casually.  
“Fantastic,” Minseok said. That did not comfort him at all.  
“As well as ambassadors from Japan and China.”   
“Good to know.” He wished they could go back to talking about books.  
“I’m glad we convinced Jongdae to buy you sheet music.”  
“Wait, what?”

Kyungsoo had been speaking rather absently, as he was very tired from cooking all day, and his eyes widened in alarm when Minseok turned to gape at him. But before either of them could say anything, Sehun burst into the kitchen.

“Come, Minseok. Before they all get drunk,” he said and he hauled Minseok out the kitchen by his arm. Minseok barely had time to think about Kyungsoo’s words when he was pulled into the dining room by Sehun and over thirty pairs of red eyes turned to look at him. He thought it was just as well he wasn’t scared of vampires because if he was then he would have passed out right then and there. But vampires or not, it was incredibly intimidating for him. They took in every inch of him with piercing gazes and he knew very well that they could sense the slight increase in his pulse.

“This is my personal violinist,” Jongdae said proudly as he got to his feet and gestured at Minseok with his wine glass. He met Minseok’s gaze and gave him the most radiant smile he’d ever seen. It gave Minseok a surge of courage and he took up the instrument and started playing. He bow moved fluidly and his fingers did not stumble over the strings, and as he progressed further through the music without any mishaps he grew more and more confident. The vampires were very entertained and many smiled as they watched him.

When he was finally done they applauded him loudly, many looking very pleased, and Minseok smiled bashfully and bowed. To his utmost surprise Jongdae got up from the table to personally thank him by clasping his hand and his touch was firm but warm to Minseok.

“Thank you, Minseok,” he said in a soft voice that only Minseok heard. There was genuine warmth and gratitude, with something like pride, glinting in his eyes. Minseok bowed once more and left the dining room and only then did he feel the pounding of his heart.

Minseok decided that he should stay to help everyone clean up afterwards, though Baekhyun told him that it would go on well into the morning.  
“I’ll stay to help you clean the dining room, at least,” Minseok insisted and Baekhyun agreed. So once their lengthy dinner finally ended and they drifted off into other parts of the house for mingling and socialising the servants got to work.

Minseok realised that he could not afford to dirty Jongdae’s clothes so he hurried upstairs to change as he had left his uniform in the en suite bathroom. The party had moved to one of the many parlours and the din echoed up to the second floor. Minseok was still busy changing when he heard a door slam and before he could react Jongdae burst into the bathroom.

“Minseok? What’re you doing here?”

He stopped in his tracks and Minseok froze because he was still in the act of putting on his undershirt.

“Sorry, Minseok!” Jongdae gasped and he clasped his hands over his eyes. Minseok nearly laughed. He was more surprised than embarrassed and Jongdae’s reaction was highly amusing, especially considering how drunk he sounded.  
“It’s alright,” he said as he pulled the shirt over his head.

Jongdae dared to peek between his fingers and then his eyes fixated on the moon pendant on Minseok’s chest.

“That…that pendant,” he said slowly. “Are you from the Crescent Moon Clan?”  
Minseok nodded hesitantly. In the warm glow of the gas lamp there was a strange look in Jongdae’s eyes, darkened slightly in the shadows, and in that moment Minseok saw the age lingering in his eyes.  
“I thought you all died out,” he said in a very soft voice, still staring at the necklace. He glanced up to meet Minseok’s eyes and he was shocked to see that they were glistening ever so slightly.

“Master?” he murmured. Jongdae seemed to quickly get a grip and he turned away and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.  
“Sorry, Minseok,” he said quietly. “Thank you for tonight. I appreciate it a lot. You looked…you really were good.”  
“Thank you, master.”  
“Well, go then before it gets too late,” Jongdae said and he stepped aside. Minseok bowed to him as he darted out.

It had been a rather busy night, but Minseok was certain of a few things: according to Kyungsoo, Jongdae actually did confide in his servants and he was friends with them, and he had actually bought the sheet music for Minseok with the intention of wanting to hear him play violin. Minseok did not know what to make of all of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for any grammar/spelling/spacing mistakes or errors bc I am old and wear glasses so some things may escape me  
> I played violin for 10 years so I had to throw it into a fic lmao  
> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos and comments so far ~


	4. Chapter 4

Somehow Minseok’s performance at the party had bridged the master and servant gap between Jongdae and himself. Whenever he arrived at the manor house Jongdae was there to greet him wherever he happened to be cleaning. Most of his awkwardness was gone and Minseok was taken aback by how friendly he was. Their conversations were brief but they were very memorable to Minseok. Jongdae asked him about his clan and the family they had served and he listened with keen interest when Minseok spoke and hung onto his every word. While Jongdae did not talk of his own family, he gladly told Minseok many anecdotes about life before the last war and Minseok listened with wonder. It brought back fond memories of his childhood and the long gone times of relative peace.

Jongdae also insisted on allowing Minseok some time off to play the violin if he wished. Minseok was surprised at the gesture but he really loved playing the instrument. Playing violin by lamplight, cleaning vast rooms, joking around with the servants, and having pleasant conversations with his master: all of it made Minseok incredibly fond of the manor and of his job. He considered the boys to be his good friends and he was very aware of how much he enjoyed Jongdae’s company. It would be improper to consider him as a friend, but Jongdae did not care about such conventions considering how he had actually asked Kyungsoo and the others for advice concerning the sheet music debacle. Minseok had not brought it up in case he was misinterpreting it entirely, but the thought that Jongdae had gone out of his way for him made him smile.

Not only did Minseok enjoy Jongdae’s company and their shared conversations, but he particularly liked the way his eyebrows tilted down even more whenever he smiled or laughed. His laugh was a great surprise to Minseok as the vampire was actually very loud at times when he was joking around. The way his cat-like lips curled up even more when he grinned never failed to warm Minseok’s heart. Minseok liked to think that he liked everyone in the manor equally, but he knew that he liked Jongdae the most, though he tried not to dwell too long on such feelings.

Even though he finished late he dreaded the approach of midnight. His job at the manor was his only escape from the worries of his life in the downtown industrial sector of the city. While he certainly found some comfort in his friendship with Junmyeon, he too was weighed down by their factory work and the atmosphere of the humans around them.

Minseok realised that he had allowed himself to get too caught up in the escapism that the manor offered one early Monday morning. He and Junmyeon were rushing about getting ready and when Junmyeon pulled his pyjama shirt over his head he turned away but Minseok saw something odd from the corner of his eye. He turned to look at Junmyeon and he gasped when he saw that his inner arms were laced with red bite marks.

“Junmyeon, what’s this?” he cried as he approached his friend even though he knew exactly what they indicated. He attempted to hide his arms with his shirt but Minseok wrenched it away and stared at him in growing horror. It was undoubtedly vampire bites, and while some had started to fade they remained red.

“Minseok, don’t judge me,” Junmyeon said quickly, his chest heaving. “I – I can’t bear to see you working every day until midnight. It’s not fair – I found other work.”   
“Soliciting blood?” Minseok gasped. “This is why you won’t go to the doctor!”   
“Obviously not, I’ll be arrested!” Junmyeon retorted. “I know what I’m doing, Minseok. Don’t give me that look.”

Minseok’s expression softened as he looked as his friend and saw the worry in his deep kind eyes.   
“Junmyeon…you know I would be the last person to judge you for this,” he said softly. “I don’t want you to get hurt or get in trouble. You know the police often raid the blood bars.”   
“I don’t just work at any old dingy bar,” Junmyeon said defensively. “It’s in the city centre and it’s very exclusive. Members only and all that.”   
“How on earth did you land a job there? How long have you been working there? Why didn’t you tell me?” Minseok asked and Junmyeon sighed.   
“I didn’t want to worry you. I know you’d think I was just selling myself on the street but it’s fine. My clients are respectful. I’ve been there for nearly a month now.”   
“Junmyeon, you’re going to get anaemia,” Minseok said warningly but Junmyeon shook his head.   
“They give us medicine, Minseok! It helps regenerate our blood, so please don’t worry,” he said and he gently touched Minseok’s shoulder. He was not reassured.   
“Okay…but how did you end up working there? I can’t imagine they’d put an ad in the paper,” he said.

Junmyeon looked a bit sheepish.   
“Well, I was kind of desperate, and it was the only thing I could think of, so I just asked around on the streets. You know the solicitors hang around by the war memorial? I went and spoke to them.”   
Minseok frowned. The solicitors who worked on the streets were often incredibly ill and always evading arrest. They often gave too much blood and ended up dying. While Minseok had never been old enough to join in his clan’s tradition and give blood to a vampire, he knew that it was no simple process. There was a reason why an entire clan was needed for such things and not just one person.

“Just look after yourself,” he said with a sigh. “Giving blood isn’t a simple thing. Weren’t you scared?”   
“At first I was terrified, to be honest,” Junmyeon admitted. “I thought my first client would drain me then and there, but I’m used to it now.”  
“Do they have security there to stop a vampire if they try to hurt you?” Minseok asked. Junmyeon nodded but Minseok was still not entirely relieved.   
“Don’t worry about it, Minseok,” he said. “I can look after myself.” Minseok sighed and pulled him into a hug.   
“Alright, but don’t keep everything to yourself,” he said. “You’re my best friend, and you’re younger than me. I need to look out for you.”   
Junmyeon smiled at him and they said nothing more on the matter. Minseok dearly hoped that he would not get hurt or arrested. If he was discovered then the consequences would be terrible.

* * *

Minseok did not realise that he had been polishing the same vase for about ten minutes until Jongdae appeared out of nowhere and pointed it out.

“Oh, sorry,” he said and he quickly put it back on the table. Jongdae tilted his head to the side as he observed Minseok.   
“Is something on your mind? Your eyes have a faraway look,” he said. Minseok hesitated for a moment.   
“It’s nothing,” he said and he turned his face away. “Did you manage to tune the piano?” he said as he gathered up his things and wandered off in search of something else to clean.

Jongdae had been struggling to tune the instrument for the past few days and the sounds coming from the music room were so awful that Sehun stuffed cotton wool in his ears.

“I did,” Jongdae said and he followed Minseok. “But I don’t know why you insist on having it tuned. You don’t have a secret talent for piano too, do you?”   
“No, I don’t,” Minseok said with a laugh. “I’d like to see you play it, master.”

Jongdae stopped in his tracks, not following Minseok to where he had crouched by a valuable wooden table to polish it. He looked a bit taken aback.   
“Why? What makes you think I’m any good?”   
“I just have a feeling,” Minseok said with a shrug. “It’s a shame to let it sit there gathering dust, you know.”   
“The day I start playing that piano is the day I’ll go outside and frolic in the sunshine,” Jongdae muttered. Minseok noted the melancholic tone of his voice and he decided to drop the subject. He really could not guess the cause of the issues with the piano and composing music, but he did not want to pry or upset him.

Silence fell over them, only punctuated by the cloth squeaking against the wood, and Minseok was aware that Jongdae was staring at him again.

“You haven’t cleaned the basement, have you?” he suddenly said. Minseok glanced up in surprise.   
“Baekhyun told me to stay out of it,” he said. “Though that was before I knew who you were, so it’s understandable.”   
“Then let’s go – I mean you should get started,” Jongdae said hastily. “I don’t think it’s been cleaned in months.”

Minseok was a bit confused at the sudden command but he gathered up his things and made his way downstairs and Jongdae did not follow him. The entrance to the cellar was through a pair of wooden doors located outside. Although Minseok had been working in a poorly lit manor house for nearly two months now, the cellar was exceptionally dark and he asked Baekhyun to accompany him. Baekhyun dragged Sehun down for moral support as well.

“Does he come down here himself? I can’t see a thing,” Minseok said as he held his lamp aloft and slowly descended the stairs. “I can’t imagine any of you coming down here.”   
“Sometimes, or sometimes he’ll ask us. But he knows we’re scared of the dark,” Baekhyun said. They needed four lanterns to give them enough light to see and it was a rather vast cellar. It was entirely empty except for two crates kept in the darkest corner.

“Sehun usually gets the blood about once a month and we store it here,” Baekhyun explained. “But, God, it’s filthy. Good luck with that.”

Minseok cursed at them for abandoning him but he supposed it was his job anyway. He swept and swept and swept until he coughed his lungs out. It was starting to look a lot better after a while, but Minseok was taken by surprise when Jongdae suddenly appeared from the shadows. He noticed that he had changed into formal clothes and had attempted to tame his hair.

“Master?” he asked. He noted that he did not look pleased.   
“I have some company,” he said with a sigh as he made his way over to one of the crates. “They’re rude and hungry.” He took out five glass bottles from the crate and in the dimness Minseok could see that they were filled to the brim with dark blood. Jongdae said nothing more and hurried out the cellar with the blood.

It did not take long for Minseok to finish cleaning considering that the cellar was mostly empty. When he resurfaced in the kitchen he was surprised at how quiet it was and at the grave looks on everyone’s faces.

“What’s the matter?” he asked but Baekhyun held a finger to his lips. Now that it was silent Minseok could easily hear the voices drifting down the passage from the parlour. It did not sound like a pleasant conversation.

“…to think that the Kim Household has been left in _your_ hands, and you have the audacity to not show up to Council meetings!”   
“Calm yourself, Lord Jin. The prince here isn’t one for being ordered around.”   
“No. I’m not,” Jongdae responded loudly. “What will my presence do in the Council? Will it magically solve the mysterious resignation of yet another two ministers? Will it appease the angry human rebel groups?”   
“You still do not know how to address your elders. Do you want to make a fool of us in front of the ambassadors? If I could find your late sire and speak to him I would – “

There was an eruption of incoherent voices and Minseok flinched. He thought it strange that Jongdae’s father would be referred to as his sire, but he was rather occupied with eavesdropping so he thought nothing more of it.

“…drop that subject. It won’t do us any good.”   
“Anyway, we expect you to respond to summons when they are issued.”

Minseok heard the vampires exchanging tense goodbyes and he heard their feet in the passage followed by the front door opening and closing. He heard Jongdae’s thunderous footsteps marching through the house until he was out of earshot.

“Someone should go ask what happened,” Baekhyun said.   
“I’m not,” Sehun said quickly.   
“He hardly has a temper, don’t be scared,” Chanyeol retorted.   
“Oh, then why don’t you go?”   
“Send Minseok,” Kyungsoo interjected. They all gave him warning glances, though Minseok did not know why, but he got to his feet anyway.   
“I don’t mind…though I’m not sure if I can be of any use,” he said with a shrug. But he actually did want to enquire mostly for Jongdae’s wellbeing because he was sure that he would not be entirely happy after such a conversation. Also, Jongdae’s mention of angry human rebel groups and the resignation of ministers made Minseok worried and he wanted to enquire if anything major had happened.

He made his way upstairs to Jongdae’s bedroom and knocked softly on the door. To his surprise he did not immediately open it. Minseok waited and knocked again.

“Master?”

He was about to leave him, thinking that he was either somewhere else or that he wanted to be left alone.

“Come in.”

Minseok stepped into the room and saw that was completely dark inside. He held his lamp up and walked in further and saw Jongdae sprawled out on the bed. His lips were stained with blood and it dribbled down his chin and he held a half-empty bottle in his hand. His cheeks were flushed from drinking the blood and he looked utterly miserable.

“Are…is everything alright?” Minseok asked and he felt like he was overstepping the boundary. “I wanted to know if – “   
“You mean you all want to be able to piece together what you heard,” Jongdae interjected and his tone was slightly harsh. He sat up and shook his head and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. “It’s nothing too interesting. Just that I bunked the last Council meeting so now everyone is mad,” he said with a sigh. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”   
“I didn’t come here looking for gossip, master,” Minseok said softly.

Jongdae glanced up sharply, slight suspicion in his eyes. Minseok understood why he was rather untrusting, as he was still in the process of coming out of his reclusive shell, so he did not blame him.

“I wanted to see if you were alright,” Minseok continued, “and I also want to know if there have been any developments concerning, well, everything. I’m worried about it. I hope I’m not being too nosy, master.”   
“You aren’t,” Jongdae said slowly and he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it out of his face. Minseok decided that he liked that sight very much though now was not the time to think about it. “The government is useless, to put it bluntly. But nothing noteworthy happened. You live in the industrial sector, don’t you?”   
Minseok nodded and Jongdae furrowed his brows.   
“I expect that whatever happens will happen there first,” he muttered. “I can find a place for you to live near here, if you’d like.”

Minseok smiled at him and shook his head.   
“That’s very generous of you, but I can’t. I live with my friend, and it’s better if we live close to the factory.”   
“Why do you still work there?” Jongdae asked and there was something like annoyed disappointment in his voice.   
“Well, we’re rather poor,” Minseok said with a shrug. “I’m just trying to make ends meet to get by.” Jongdae’s face fell.   
“Minseok, I didn’t mean to be offensive,” he said quickly but Minseok shook his head. Despite Jongdae’s intentions, he did feel a small sting from his words as he was once again reminded of the stark differences between them.   
“It’s alright. I know. I should leave you, master. I’ve bothered you enough.”

He turned to leave the room and he heard some commotion behind him before he felt Jongdae’s cold hand grab his wrist and he spun him around.

“That was very stupid and thoughtless of me, Minseok. I’m sorry,” he said. Minseok saw the sincerity of his words reflected in his eyes and he nodded with a small smile.   
“Thank you,” he said quietly.   
“And you weren’t bothering me,” Jongdae added. Minseok nodded again, unsure of what to say. Jongdae released his wrist and stepped back. Minseok bowed and left, though he did not feel reassured by his apology.

He sometimes forgot that he and Jongdae were worlds apart, he a poor human and Jongdae a vampire prince. Whenever he was reminded of that it weighed on his heart and made him rather miserable. He thought that perhaps if the war had not happened and his family had not been forced to move to the city, destitute and discriminated against, then he might have met Jongdae under different circumstances. Jongdae’s family would still be alive as well.

As Minseok left the manor he travelled into the city centre to look for Junmyeon. He’d given him directions on how to get to the bar where he worked and they’d agreed to walk home together that night. The city was bustling with vampires and Minseok was one of the few humans out on the street. As he ventured deeper into the city he spotted a few humans standing in alleyways and they were obviously solicitors. They either offered themselves to every vampire who walked past or climbed into dark cars to disappear into the night.

Minseok found the bar and it was disguised as a vacant store. He knocked thrice on the basement level door and it was opened by a burly vampire.

“I’m here for Suho,” he said when asked. Everyone who worked there had to use an alias. He opened the door further and Minseok darted inside. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust as it was very dark inside and there was a smoky haze in the air from cigars. He stepped through into a reception area into the bar. It was designed like a typical bar, but the booth seats were secluded and obscured from view. There was a band playing loud music and Minseok squinted as he tried to spot Junmyeon amongst the crowd.

“Do you work here?”

A sudden voice in his ear made Minseok jump and he pushed himself away from the vampire who was leaning very close to him.

“No,” he said firmly.   
“Hmm, are you sure about that?” he said with a deep intake of breath. “You’re positively delicious.”  
“He said no.”

Minseok turned around to see a well-dressed vampire pull the vampire away from him and give him a glare. He sauntered off without another word, muttering irritably, and the vampire turned to Minseok. Though Minseok was sure he had never seen him before, there was something vaguely familiar about his very serious face. His hair was slicked back neatly and he wore small earrings.

“Are you alright?” he asked and Minseok noticed he spoke with a slight accent. He nodded.   
“Thank you, sir,” he said. The vampire smiled at him, revealing deep dimples, and there was a friendly glint in his red eyes. Minseok was now very sure he’d seen him somewhere though he was not bold enough to ask. The vampire merely nodded at him and made to leave.

A few minutes later Junmyeon finally arrived and he and Minseok hurriedly exited the bar and stepped out into the cold night. He looked rather pale but otherwise he was fine so Minseok did not bother him about his wellbeing as he was evidently tired. They walked home in relative silence, both extremely exhausted, and Minseok collapsed into his bed as soon as they were home. Though he fell asleep immediately something sad settled over his heart.

* * *

_Once again, Minseok was in his childhood home. He was sitting in the drawing room, gazing out the window at the garden. Small vampire children played near him, shrieking with laughter, and his mother gave him a warm cup of tea. He looked at the scene sadly, now very aware that it was a dream and that everyone in it was gone._

_He got up and left the room, his feet walking of their own accord it seemed, as he had never moved out the house in his dreams. He walked out the back door and into the garden. The edge of the garden faded into a dense forest, something he had never seen before. But he was very curious so he journeyed towards it and walked through the thick expanse of trees._

_The air was cool and fresh and it felt very real when he felt dew on his face. It was dark in the forest but it did not unsettle him. Morning glory flowers grew all along the forest floor and wound their way up tree trunks. There were so many that the edge of Minseok’s vision was blurred with purple._

_He came out into a clearing and saw a bright full moon above him. It was as radiant as the sun and the grass and the trees were cast in its bright light. He wandered over to a soft patch of grass and sat down and just stared up at the moon. He felt calm, the sadness he’d felt in his house quickly leaving him, and soon he forgot all about it._

* * *

Minseok did not dwell on his dreams because he really did not have the time. He was now thoroughly preoccupied with helping Jongdae clean out his library and the task would take some time. There were many books he had never read and many others that he had read too often and they were falling apart as a result. Minseok had not spent much time in the library and while it was not particularly big it still made him stare in wonder.

“Sense and Sensibility; trash,” Jongdae said as he tossed the book at the pile on the floor.   
“You never finished it,” Minseok said as he inspected the spine. “It seems like you didn’t get past chapter three.” All the discarded books were to be gathered and donated by Baekhyun and Minseok was dreading having to haul it all down the stairs.   
“I couldn’t stand it,” Jongdae muttered in distaste and he picked a dilapidated hardcover. “Jane Eyre – much better, though I think this one is – UGH!”

In the act of picking up the book, half of the pages fell out along with a cloud of dead moths and booklice. Jongdae flung it across the room, scattering the yellow lice-infested pages everywhere. Minseok looked at him with pursed lips.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly and he bent down to start gathering the pages. Minseok joined him with a broom and dustpan.   
“The amount of creatures I’ve had to clean out of this house,” he muttered.   
“No rodents, I hope?”   
“None yet,” Minseok said dryly. Jongdae turned to offer him an embarrassed smile.   
“Sorry,” he said again.   
“You don’t have to apologise. It’s my job, master,” Minseok said, moving in front of him to catch some of the bugs as they attempted to scurry away.

Jongdae paused in his little knee-shuffle on the carpet behind Minseok.   
“You don’t…I would prefer…”  
“MASTER!”

The door burst open to reveal Baekhyun and he was panting from running up the stairs. His entrance nearly made Minseok scatter all the dirt and insects he’d collected and Jongdae glared at Baekhyun.

“What is it? Why do you always shout?”   
“Prince Yuchan is here,” Baekhyun panted, “along with some other people from the Council and ambassadors.”

Jongdae immediately got to his feet and his face was rather grave.   
“Did you put them in the drawing room?” he asked.   
“Yes, with glasses of blood,” Baekhyun said.   
“Right. Minseok, just stay here, alright? This is somewhat urgent. I don’t know how long I’ll be,” he said. Minseok smiled up at him from the floor.   
“I’ll just sort out the old books, master,” he said. There was something in Jongdae’s tone that suggested he should not leave the library, but he had no time to enquire because Jongdae quickly marched out the library with Baekhyun close behind him.

Minseok busied himself with cleaning up the mess on the floor before he returned to the piles of books. Everything that was falling apart and infested with booklice was dumped on the trash pile. Minseok also took the liberty of sifting through the pile of books still in good condition. It had been ages since he’d read a good book and he took the time to read a few pages of each book he examined.

He did not notice the passing of time until he heard footsteps approaching the library. He assumed it was Jongdae and that he’d finished his business, but when the door opened he stiffened when he saw a group of vampires. He was standing behind a table piled high with books, so he was not initially visible from the entrance, and all he could do was keep still and pray that they would not sense him and leave. Cleaners were not meant to be seen and he did not want to make Jongdae look bad. But besides that aspect, something about the way Baekhyun and Jongdae had reacted made Minseok nervous of the group.

“This isn’t the parlour, Prince Yuchan,” one of them said.   
“I know. I smelt something interesting,” the vampire named Yuchan said and Minseok felt a knot of dread coiling in his stomach. The vampire turned around and it only took a second for his piercing eyes to find Minseok. When he saw him he raised his eyebrows and his lips curled into a humourless smirk. He was very tall and slender and his very presence exuded a threatening aura.   
“Oh my, what do we have here?” he said with interest. Minseok, as uneasy as he felt, could not afford to be rude, so he stepped out from behind the books and bowed to the vampires.

“I did not know Prince Jongdae kept such pretty things hidden in his house,” he said with a hint of amusement that sent chills down Minseok’s spine. “Who are you?” he said to Minseok in a much harsher tone, speaking as though Minseok was some sort of subservient animal.   
“Minseok, sir,” he said while staring at his feet. “I’m the cleaner.”   
“Hmm, so polite too,” he drawled and he approached Minseok. It took a lot of willpower not to step away. Although Minseok had never met him, he had a terrible feeling about him. He wanted to get himself far away from him where his eyes could not look at him.

To Minseok’s horror the vampire reached forward and clasped his chin and forced him to look up and meet his cold narrowed eyes. His grip was awfully cold and hard and Minseok was barely able to suppress a shudder. His gaze really made him want to hide himself and it felt like he was staring into Minseok’s very soul in the most invasive manner. His form towered over Minseok in a way that made him feel incredibly small and vulnerable.

“A cleaner, hmm? You’re too pretty to be a cleaner, I think. Have any of you seen him before?” he said over his shoulder to the group. They muttered words of dissent and Minseok dared to glance at them and he recognised none of their amused faces until he spotted a frowning face at the back. He was the same vampire with the dimples he’d met at the blood bar. He met Minseok’s gaze and Minseok tried to convey some of his desperation in his eyes. He blinked once and silently stepped out the room but none of the others noticed. Yuchan was far too preoccupied with staring at Minseok.

“You smell very sweet, Minseok,” he continued and Minseok almost grimaced at the way he said his name. “Are you afraid of vampires? I can hear your heart beating ever so frantically.”   
“No, sir,” he said firmly. He spoke a bit too firmly, for Yuchan tightened his grip on his chin. He reached out a long finger and pressed it against Minseok’s chest, pressing the moon pendant beneath his shirt painfully hard into his skin.   
“Your pulse says otherwise,” he said and his eyes narrowed dangerously.

At that moment Jongdae appeared, accompanied with the other vampire, and Yuchan immediately let go of Minseok. The look on Jongdae’s face was nothing short of terrifying and his jaw was hard as he glared at the prince. A livid fire burnt in his eyes and Minseok was glad to not be on the receiving end.

“I was just getting acquainted with your new servant, Prince Jongdae,” Yuchan said. “I hadn’t seen a new one since that young kitchen boy a while back.”   
“Do I traipse into your house and bother your servants?” Jongdae said and it sounded as though he spoke through gritted teeth and his words wiped the smirk off Yuchan’s face.   
“Minseok, you are dismissed,” Jongdae said without looking at him.   
“Yes, master,” Minseok said and he hurried out the room, keeping his head bowed.

As soon as he left the library he heard Yuchan say that he was merely being friendly, nothing more, but Minseok did not want to hear him. He did not stop walking until he was at the stairs and then he broke into a sprint and he burst into the kitchen gasping for air. The air around Yuchan had felt so awful and oppressive that he did not even realise how he struggled to breathe.

“Minseok! God, you’re as white as a ghost,” Baekhyun exclaimed. “Are you alright?”   
“That – that Prince Yuchan,” Minseok muttered and even saying his name made him shudder. Baekhyun’s eyes widened.   
“What happened?” he asked in mild alarm. The other boys stared at him with fearful looks in their eyes.   
“I was in the library and all of a sudden he came inside with the other vampires,” Minseok explained. “He was just harassing me, I suppose, but I’ve never felt like that before. He made me want to crawl out of my skin.”   
“Your chin!” Chanyeol suddenly gasped. “Did he hurt you?”

Minseok felt at his chin and was surprised to feel that it pained him slightly. He glanced at his reflection in a gleaming silver pot and he was able to make out purple finger marks on the skin. He was shocked.

“I’m not this fragile,” he muttered with a half-hearted laugh. Baekhyun gently took him by the arm and sat him down.   
“He’s like that,” he said quietly. “He’s one of the worst. Jongdae told us that the Council’s been trying to get rid of him for decades now, but he’s one of the most powerful princes so a lot of people are too scared to go against him.”   
“It’s not just wealth and connections,” Kyungsoo added. “He’s also an incredibly powerful vampire.”

Minseok shuddered.   
“What led him in there? Where was Jongdae?” Chanyeol asked.   
“It sounded like he sniffed me out,” Minseok said with a grimace. “I think he told the group he was looking for the parlour or something as an excuse. I don’t know where Jongdae was, but he stopped him before he could…I don’t know…do something worse.”

Kyungsoo made him some sweet tea to calm his nerves and it was so bewildering to Minseok because no one had ever made him feel that way before. They spoke quietly in the kitchen for a while until they heard the sound of the group descending the stairs and voices echoing down the passage. Then Minseok was suddenly struck with a sharp fear and the desire to hide himself. He almost dropped his cup and he had a horrible feeling that Yuchan was glaring in his direction down the passage. But the feeling quickly subsided and he breathed a sigh of relief. Baekhyun watched him with some worry.

He heard the unmistakable sound of Jongdae’s stomping before he burst into the kitchen. He ignored everyone else and nearly bowled over Sehun in his haste to reach Minseok.

“Did he do this to you?” he asked and he gently placed his hands on either side of Minseok’s head, tilting his face up into the light and his eyes fixated on his chin. Minseok was slightly flabbergasted.   
“I’m okay, master,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt much.”   
Jongdae looked like he was trying very hard to control his emotions and fire swam in his eyes.   
“I’ll kill him next time I see him, I swear to God,” he muttered. “Would you like to go home?” he asked Minseok in a softer tone.

Minseok glanced at the clock on the wall, his movement prohibited by Jongdae’s hands on his face, and the vampire quickly removed them.   
“It’s a bit early and I want to finish cleaning in the library,” Minseok admitted as he got to his feet. Jongdae was still staring at him as though he would collapse at any moment, and he also noticed that everyone else in the kitchen was staring at the both of them with some sort of expectancy. He felt rather awkward and quickly darted out the kitchen.

He heard their voices growing louder as he hurried up the stairs but he thought nothing of it and he supposed that they were just asking Jongdae about the reason for the vampires’ sudden visit. When he returned to the library he suddenly felt apprehensive, as if Prince Yuchan was lurking there in the shadows waiting to attack. His aura was nothing short of malicious and it felt like he had left a dark cloud over the library.

“Minseok.”

Jongdae appeared out of nowhere and startled him so much that he dropped the book in his hands. He hurried over to him, looking as though he wanted to reach out a hand to him, but he suddenly stopped.

“I’m sorry. Are you sure you’re alright? I know he can have that effect,” Jongdae said, sounding rather anxious.   
“Why is he like that? Did the same thing happen to the others?” Minseok asked.   
“Not really,” Jongdae said, reaching down to pick up the dropped book. “I think you’re more…sensitive to the effects of vampires due to your bloodline.”

Minseok glanced at him in surprise.   
“Oh, I had no idea,” he mused. “I’ve never met such an awful vampire like that so it’s no wonder.”   
Jongdae fiddled with the book in his hands and he looked lost in thought. Minseok paused in his sorting of the old books for a moment as he remembered his question.

“I wanted to ask – “   
“How I allowed him to get in here?” Jongdae interjected, taking Minseok by surprise because that was not what he wanted to ask. But Jongdae looked rather guilty. “He insisted on asking me for a rare bottle of wine, and the other servants don’t know where it is so I went to look, and I stupidly let Yuchan lead the others to the parlour.” He sighed and shook his head and his grip tightened around the book, further ruining the damaged cover.

“Oh, well, no I didn’t – I just wanted to ask about the vampire with the dimples,” Minseok said quietly. “I think I’ve met him before and I think he helped me out in here.” Minseok could not admit outright that he had met him at a blood bar because he did not want to cause any unnecessary trouble for him.   
“He’s Zhang Yixing, a Chinese Ambassador. He came to look for me,” Jongdae said. “He’s one of the few vampires I actually like, though I only met him this year. He’s very kind and hardworking. You must have recognised him from the party. He told me he was very impressed with you.”   
“Oh, yes, the party,” Minseok said in feigned realisation. He saw that Jongdae still looked rather despondent but he did not know what to say to comfort him.

They continued to work in relative silence except for when Jongdae would occasionally comment on a book. They did not make much progress, but Minseok did not mind if it meant he got to spend more evenings with Jongdae in the library. Jongdae walked him to the door when he left and Minseok knew he watched him until he was out the gate and out of sight.

* * *

_Minseok did not know where he was though it seemed like some sort of underground cave. Except it was nothing like the caves he’d seen in nature because there was nothing natural about it. There were no signs of life or anything remotely normal. It was incredibly dark and the air was stifling and oppressive. It weighed down upon him and made him feel terribly small and vulnerable and he even found it difficult to stand up straight. He only heard his own shallow breathing for a moment until there was another sound that sent a spike of fear through his veins._

_Primeval growling and snarling echoed in the blackness around him, drawing closer and closer. Minseok tried to run but his legs were slow and he stumbled. He cried out, desperately trying to get to his feet but his limbs were useless and the growling only drew closer. Minseok clenched his eyes shut and hid his face in his arms._

_Then it ceased and the oppressive air pushing him down was lifted from his body. Minseok dared to open his eyes and he saw blurs of purples and greens, shining brightly from the white moonlight above him. He blinked the fearful tears out his eyes and got to his feet and found that he could finally breathe clearly and stand straight. The forest was more beautiful than it had been the last time and all thoughts of his nightmare quickly left him. He wandered forward into the familiar clearing and sat down on the grass. Again he stared up at the moon and again he felt calm and content._


	5. Chapter 5

When Minseok walked to work with Junmyeon on a particularly cold snowy winter’s morning he noticed something very different in the atmosphere. People stood huddled in groups, talking frantically, and he saw a lot of police wandering about. When he bought his daily newspaper and read the headline he shared a gasp of horror with Junmyeon.

The previous day a vampire had attacked and killed a human in the city centre and left their bloodied body out in the street. There was no reason given, and Minseok knew better than to believe the all the facts given by newspaper, but it was still horrifying. He was now very reluctant to go to work but he really had no choice if he did not want to be evicted from his apartment. Due to the cold he and Junmyeon had to use the heating more frequently, resulting in their bills increasing.

The glares from the factory workers were worse than usual and some people hurled insults at Minseok. Fortunately the day passed by without any incident, until the workers all filed through the gates at the end of their shifts. There was some commotion in the street and all Minseok could see was that something was burning.

“It’s a protest!” Junmyeon hissed. “We need to get away!”

But it was too late and the sudden oncoming crowd of workers seemed to encourage the protesters and a group of them broke away to rally more people. The police noticed, and they immediately started firing blank rounds. Minseok and Junmyeon just managed to push away from the crowd before pandemonium broke out. Minseok glanced back to see if they were being pursued but he gasped when he saw Jongin being swept into the scuffle. He looked terrified and desperately tried to claw his way through the crowd. Minseok broke away from Junmyeon and sprinted back to the group, pushing and elbowing his way through people until he grabbed Jongin’s arm and pulled the boy out.

He ran with him down the street and around the corner to Junmyeon and at that moment there was an explosion from some sort of homemade bomb.

“You!” Jongin gasped when he recognised Minseok. He pulled himself out of his grasp but Minseok grabbed a handful of his shirt.  
“You need to get away from here,” he said insistently. “Just come with us before the police get here.” Jongin looked apprehensive and scared as he glanced from Junmyeon to Minseok.  
“But…but you…they said you’re a traitor,” Jongin stammered. There was underlying uncertainty in his words and Minseok sighed.  
“I can’t make you trust me, or believe anything different from what you’ve been taught for most of your life, but just put that aside now, Jongin. This is a dangerous situation so please just come with us until it’s safe.”

Jongin looked incredibly conflicted but he nodded and allowed Minseok to lead him down the street. He heard the sounds of conflict and fighting behind them and he just focused on getting himself and the boy as far away as possible. They were close to the apartment now and the streets were quiet though Minseok still felt uneasy.

“Are you fine going home by yourself?” he asked Jongin. “Do you live nearby?”  
“I live by the train station,” Jongin said quietly. It was far from the conflict but it was a lengthy distance  
“We can walk with you if you want,” Junmyeon said. Jongin shook his head. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but he decided against it and walked away.  
“Well, at least we tried,” Junmyeon said with a sigh. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

Jongin’s behaviour bothered Minseok immensely because it shocked him to see the influences of prejudice on a young boy. As he grew older he would hate vampires more and more and eventually get to the same stage as the workers who constantly harassed Minseok.

He hated the constant reminders that vampires were seen as monsters, and that by association Minseok and other humans like him and his clan were even worse. Now he also found himself thinking of Jongdae, and how it was a great injustice for anyone to hate him based on him being a vampire. He was so kind and compassionate, how could anyone hate him? Minseok really did not understand prejudices and it saddened him to think that he was one of a select few who thought so.

* * *

Minseok was absent-mindedly helping Jongdae sort out the last remaining books in the library one particularly cold evening. Jongdae spoke softly and a roaring fire, lit by Chanyeol, made the room distinctly cosy. Minseok did not really hear what Jongdae was saying because he was staring at him without realising it. He sat on the floor while Jongdae stood above him, and from Minseok’s angle the vampire’s lips were even more endearing in how they curled at the ends. His hair was wild as usual and he kept on having to tuck a stray strand behind his ear but it looked like he was starting to grow annoyed. Minseok watched him for a while until he realised that he was staring and not responding to a single word he said.

“Here,” he said as he took out a hairpin from his pocket. His own hair was too long and he needed a cut as it was becoming inconvenient, but he always made do with hairpins for work at the factory. Jongdae glanced down at the hairpin in confusion, most probably because it was so simply made unlike the expensive and ornate ones he was used to. Minseok got to his feet and stepped close to the vampire and gently pinned his hair out of his face. Jongdae stared at him and Minseok noticed his cheeks colouring ever so slightly. He quickly returned to the floor and tried to act normal.

“Thanks, Minseok,” Jongdae said eventually. “I suppose I should get a haircut.”  
“It looks pretty like that, master,” Minseok said. He rather enjoyed looking at Jongdae’s hair and he certainly did not want him to cut it.  
“You’re very nice today, Minseok,” Jongdae said with his face turned away. “First you complimented my shirt and now my messy hair.”  
“It looks good on you,” Minseok said honestly. The shirt was not as loose or frilly as the ones the vampire usually wore and it was more simple and elegant. “And are you implying that I’m not usually nice?”

He smirked mischievously when Jongdae whirled around looking indignant.  
“Of course not. You’re always nice – well nice isn’t a great word, I suppose I should say that you’re always pleasant,” he spluttered and Minseok hid his laughter behind his hand because such things had been happening regularly. Whenever Jongdae could compliment him or just comment on something about him he always seemed to become incredibly embarrassed and Minseok found it hilarious. Despite his embarrassment something playful glinted in Jongdae’s eyes.  
“You always hide your laugh,” he said matter-of-factly in a tone that Minseok associated with a childish type of disappointment, as if the vampire had been deprived of some treat. “Let me see.”  
“I have a silly smile,” Minseok said in protest, his words muffled by his palm and he could not control his laughter because he suddenly felt very giddy and shy and happy and a bit confused all at once. Jongdae knelt down beside him and pried his hand away from his mouth and Minseok nearly shrieked with laughter.

Jongdae stared at Minseok’s lopsided smile with his lips parted in an expression that looked a lot like wonder and his grip tightened on his wrist ever so slightly. Minseok’s laughter died down and he became aware of their close proximity when Jongdae suddenly let go of him and scrambled to his feet.

“Don’t hide your smile,” he said. “It’s cute.” There was no sense of awkwardness in his words and he sounded very adamant, and Minseok blushed though he still felt rather giddy.  
“I think we’ve finally finished here, haven’t we?” Jongdae said loudly. “Let’s take all of this downstairs.”

Minseok was not one to complain, but he made the other servants help carry down the books so that he and Jongdae would not have to take ten trips up and down the stairs. There was some traffic on the staircase as they all transported the books, with Sehun complaining loudly, and Minseok nearly lost his footing on the first floor stairs, but a firm hand grabbed the back of his shirt and kept him steady.

“Careful, Minseok,” Jongdae said. “I can’t catch you this time.”  
“Oh, there was a previous time?” Sehun said in a carrying whisper and Minseok felt his ears burn red, and he didn’t even know why he was so embarrassed, but he ignored the boy and hurried down to the ground floor.

Once all the books had finally been transported down to Jongdae’s car, which Minseok noted he hardly used, it was Baekhyun’s job to deliver them. He realised that the times before he had met Jongdae when he thought he was gone due to the absence of the car it was actually because he often loaned it to Baekhyun and Chanyeol whenever they needed it. He squabbled in the kitchen with Jongdae about when and where he was supposed to take them and Minseok took a moment to sit on a couch in the foyer because his legs were sore. It was amusing to listen to them bickering playfully and he allowed his body to relax with a contented sigh. He was warm from all the physical exertion but he felt very comfortable on the couch as he stared at the high ceiling. Before he knew it his eyes started to close and he slowly dozed off on the couch.

* * *

It took a while for Minseok to wake up and when he did he was very confused. Just a second ago he had been in the forest again, but it had felt so incredibly real that he had felt the softness of the purple flower petals between his fingers and the cool breeze on his face. Now as he blinked through his heavy lids he saw that he was on a four-post bed and the embroidered hangings were drawn shut. Even though he felt cold air on his exposed face there was an excessive amount of blankets piled atop the duvet. It was dark except for the faint light that spilled in through a gap in the curtains, though it was nowhere nearly as bright as the moonlight in his dream. He pulled back the bed hangings and looked around the room, taking in the empty fireplace and the couches, and then he realised that he was in one of the grand bedrooms on the second floor, as he had cleaned it not too long ago.

Minseok sat up in alarm and scrambled out the bed, and when he peered through the curtains he gasped because it was daybreak. The faint light was that of the frail winter dawn peeking through the snow clouds. He also realised that it was snowing very heavily, as the garden was blanketed in thick white snow and Minseok could not see very far through the snowfall. He became aware of how cold it was outside the bed and his teeth started to chatter. Despite his shock and confusion, he could not help but stare at the garden in the light of the day as he had never seen it like that before and he thought it was rather beautiful. The trees were entirely covered in snow and it gave the illusion that they the house was out in the countryside. Then he remembered he had fallen asleep in his master’s house and he quickly gathered his senses and hurried out the room.

He knew that by this time the servants were all gone, and he suddenly felt at a loss of what to do. The house was incredibly quiet and he assumed that his master was asleep. He really did not want to disturb him but he had to apologise for falling asleep. He knocked softly on the door but there was no response. He bit his lip nervously and knocked again, but there was nothing. He opened the door slowly and crept inside.

“Master?” he whispered. He stepped further into the room and squinted to try and see as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He could make out a large lump on the bed and he assumed it was Jongdae’s sleeping form. He felt at a loss of what to do but he could not just leave.  
“Master?” he said in a louder voice.

Jongdae moaned and he slowly sat up and Minseok could make out his faintly glowing eyes in the dimness.  
“What is it, Minseok? It’s so early,” he said through a yawn.  
“I’m apologising for falling asleep,” he said and as he spoke his teeth chattered from the cold. “I really shouldn’t have – “  
“You’re freezing,” Jongdae interjected and he suddenly got up. He produced his dressing gown out of nowhere and draped it over Minseok and tied it tightly around him, trapping his arms against his sides. “Go back to bed or you’ll get sick.”  
“But, master!” Minseok exclaimed in shock.  
“You don’t have work today – it’s Saturday,” Jongdae said dismissively. “And don’t worry about your friend Junmyeon. I sent Sehun to tell him that you’ll be staying here.”

To Minseok’s surprise Jongdae put a hand on his shoulder and steered him towards the door.  
“I’m imposing, master,” he said as Jongdae ushered him out the room and across the passage. He thought he must have looked very comical wrapped up in the dressing gown like a mummy in a burial shroud.  
“Ugh,” Jongdae hissed when they entered the bedroom as the light was slightly stronger now and he held up a hand to shield his eyes. “You aren’t imposing, Minseok. Just go back to sleep, okay? Master’s orders.” Though he sounded very sleepy his lips curled into the smallest of smirks.

He gently nudged Minseok towards the bed before he quickly darted out the room and closed the door behind him. Minseok could only stand still in a moment of shock as he tried to process everything. He really had no other option but to climb back into the bed, now wearing the dressing gown properly, and he pulled the duvet and blankets over himself. He was incredibly bewildered, but also still very tired. The gown was made of the softest material he’d ever felt and as the collar tickled his face he detected some of Jongdae’s scent on it. He could smell his subtle cologne, along with something that he could not describe but it reminded him of the fragrant fresh smell of flowers blooming in the early morning. It was not difficult to fall back into a deep sleep and return to the forest in his dreams.

* * *

Minseok could not recall he last time he had slept in so late and when he awoke he actually felt refreshed for the first time in a long time. He stretched and yawned widely and when he got out the bed he pulled the dressing gown tightly around himself. The sleeves fell long past his arms and the hem dragged on the floor slightly. He shuffled over to the window and he saw that the snow had increased since dawn and it was nothing short of a blizzard outside. He bit his lip in worry because he doubted he would be able to go home. While he certainly did not mind being at the manor, he did not want to impose on Jongdae.

The house was incredibly cold as he quietly journeyed downstairs to the kitchen and opened all the curtains wide to allow the daylight in. He made a very simple breakfast as he did not want to use too many ingredients and ate quietly at the table. After cleaning up he did not know what to do because he did not want to disturb Jongdae. As he pondered about what to do he did not notice Jongdae dragging his feet across the wooden flooring of the passage until he appeared in the kitchen.

“Good morning, Minseok,” he said with a yawn and he squinted in the brightness of the kitchen. Minseok realised that he had never seen the vampire in the daylight before. His eyes were not as bright and could have been mistaken for very light brown at a quick glance, and there was more colour in his skin than what Minseok usually saw by the light of a gas lamp or candle. His face was also softened slightly as the lamplight usually made his cheekbones stand out more sharply than usual.

“Good morning, master,” he said as he got to his feet. He opened his mouth to apologise but Jongdae held up a hand to silence him.  
“You are here as my guest, Minseok,” Jongdae said. “You were so tired last night you fell asleep in the foyer,” he said with a smile as though recalling a fond memory. “So please don’t worry about it. Have you eaten?”  
Minseok nodded.  
“I suppose you would like to go home, but as you can see there is a mild snowstorm outside,” he said with a gesture to the window. “Would you like a bath? I’ll lend you something to wear.”  
“Oh – I can wear my uniform,” Minseok said but Jongdae shook his head.  
“I’m sure you want to change into something clean,” he said and he gestured for Minseok to follow him out the kitchen.

“I’m afraid that the only bathroom with hot water at the moment is mine as I don’t have guests stay overnight,” Jongdae explained as they climbed the stairs. “Did you sleep well?”  
“Yes, thank you,” Minseok said, just managing to gather his words as he was rather overwhelmed. “I’m sorry that you have to be up during the daytime.” Jongdae smiled at him over his shoulder.  
“I went to bed soon after you did,” he said. “And I suppose I am a bit lazy anyway, so it’s not a bad thing.”

Once Jongdae had prepared a steaming hot bath, complete with so many bubbles that they nearly flowed over the edge of the tub, he gave Minseok a folded pile of clothing and left him. Minseok felt very content in the hot water and allowed himself to relax despite the unorthodox situation. He knew that by now he should be used to Jongdae’s disregard for propriety, but it was just very different to the way he’d grown up and how society functioned. Jongdae insisted that he could use any of the bath products he wanted, but Minseok settled on a simple soap and lavender bath oil and he washed his hair with something that smelt like roses. Once he was done he dried off and cleaned the tub, as he would have to do it anyway, and put on Jongdae’s clothes. He was surprised that he owned such simple traditional clothing as he could not imagine the vampire wearing it. He had to roll up the pants but otherwise it fit him perfectly.

Minseok emerged from the bathroom and found Jongdae sitting hunched over his desk. The curtains were still closed in the room but Jongdae made use of a gas lamp for Minseok’s sake. He sensed Minseok before he could make a sound and he whirled around and seemed to fumble with whatever was on his desk. It sounded like a pile of papers but Minseok could not see.

“Are the clothes warm enough? It’s the warmest thing I own,” he said, his hands still fumbling behind him.  
“Yes, thank you, master,” Minseok replied with a smile.  
“You know…I would prefer…never mind,” Jongdae muttered under his breath. “Seeing as you’re sort of trapped in here, uh, what do you want to do?”  
“Hmm, I could clean if you want,” Minseok said and Jongdae suddenly laughed.  
“No, Minseok. You’re here as my guest,” he said. “What do you usually do on weekends?”  
“I read or do word puzzles with Junmyeon,” Minseok said.  
“You can do that, and you can also do anything else,” Jongdae said. Minseok smiled shyly as a sudden idea came to mind.  
“Actually, I’d like to practice violin,” he said softly. “I haven’t touched it in a while and I’d like to try out Salut d’Amour,” he said and it felt as though he was telling Jongdae a great secret.

“Ever so diligent,” Jongdae said with a smile that made his eyes curve. “I’ll light a fire for you.”  
“Oh, I can do that,” Minseok said.  
“No, I’ll do it,” Jongdae said stubbornly.  
“Master, you’re not very good at lighting fires.”

Jongdae tried to prove his point by making quite a performance out of lighting the fire, but he failed miserably. Minseok rolled up his sleeves and took over and Jongdae wore the expression of a wounded dog.

“Leave the servants’ work to the servants, master,” Minseok said with a chuckle as he tuned the violin. Jongdae sat on the couch and stared up at him.  
“I…if you don’t mind me asking,” he started nervously, “how are you such a good servant? I mean, you didn’t grow up cleaning the house of your vampire clan.”  
Minseok laughed heartily at his words.  
“Actually I did, but just because I thought it was fun,” he explained. “I didn’t do much other than dusting whatever I could reach, but my distant older cousins were cleaning servants so I just followed them around. Many in my family did some of the housework and stuff. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth.”  
“I know,” Jongdae said quickly. “It’s just surprising. You’re from the south, right?” Minseok nodded.  
“We lived in the countryside. It was very beautiful,” he said as he set up the sheet music on the music stand.  
“Do you mind if I watch you play?” Jongdae asked in a small voice and Minseok smiled at him, suddenly feeling a light fluttering sensation in his chest.  
“No, but don’t distract me, master,” he said.

Minseok played for a while, slowly working his way through the song and repeating each section until he was satisfied. At first he was acutely aware of Jongdae staring at him, but he grew used to it and it soon felt like the most natural thing in the world.

He stopped for a short break and sat beside Jongdae on the couch. Minseok realised that it was the first time he’d done so and it felt very natural as though there were not social differences between them.

“You’re so good, Minseok,” Jongdae said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as good as you.”  
“I highly doubt that,” Minseok said as he stared intently at the violin on his lap.  
“I’m honest,” Jongdae said firmly. Minseok saw him fidget with his sleeves for a moment. “If you don’t mind me asking, what would you do if you did not work at the factory? What did you want to do?”  
“Oh, I never really gave it much thought other than some silly childhood dreams,” Minseok said with a shrug. “I thought of being a violinist, after finishing my education. But I doubt that’s ever likely to happen.”

Jongdae looked slightly remorseful though he said nothing more about it. Minseok did not want him to pity him and he also did not want to think about his circumstances any longer. He did not want to cloud his mind with such things while enjoying his time with the vampire.

“You know there’s a part for a piano to accompany me,” Minseok said casually, plucking at the strings absentmindedly.  
“Oh, fancy that,” Jongdae muttered and he avoided his eyes.  
“Wouldn’t you like to accompany me? I think it’ll sound better that way, master,” Minseok said in the sweetest voice he could muster. It worked as Jongdae stopped fidgeting with his sleeve and met his eyes. He hesitated for a moment.  
“Well, I doubt I’d be of any use,” he said as he got up. “But I could try if it helps you.”

Minseok could barely contain his grin when he took up his place in front of the music stand and Jongdae sat down at the piano. He stretched his fingers for a moment before pressing softly on the keys and Minseok joined him with the violin, though it did not last for long because Jongdae was a beat behind.

“We can slow the tempo,” Minseok said when he saw the vampire’s brows furrow. They started again at half the speed and Jongdae was very soft and hesitant at first, but as the song progressed his fingers moved more fluidly across the keys and he adjusted his posture so that he was fully involved in his movements. As they approached the crescendo at the end Minseok happened to glance at Jongdae and saw something like a smile ghosting his lips.

Minseok requested that he accompany him for another song, and then another, and then he lost track of time as they continued to play more and more songs together. All the while Jongdae grew more and more confident and absorbed in the music and whenever Minseok glanced at him he saw happiness shining on his face.

When they completed the last song Jongdae sat back on the bench and stared at the piano with a strange look in his eyes.  
“It’s been ages since I’ve played,” he muttered.  
“And you were good, master,” Minseok said proudly. “But do you remember what you said?”  
Jongdae raised an eyebrow in confusion and Minseok’s smile widened. “You said that the day you play the piano again you’d go and frolic in the sunshine.”

Jongdae stared at him and burst out laughing.  
“You remember too many things, Minseok,” he said. “So do you want me to go play in the snow?”  
“Well, only if you’re a man of your word,” Minseok said with a shrug. “But it’s very cold outside so I understand if you don’t want to.”

Jongdae jumped to his feet and there was a familiar glint in his eye that made Minseok smile.  
“I may be many things, but I don’t back out from what I said,” he said loudly. “Let us go frolic, Minseok.”

Minseok just had time to put down the violin before Jongdae grabbed his hand and pulled him out the room with an astonishing strength. He barely had time to say anything as he was tugged down the stairs and through to the drawing room where tall glass doors opened out onto a veranda. Jongdae wrenched open the doors and Minseok gasped from the sudden onslaught of cold air. To his astonishment the vampire took a running jump and launched himself off the veranda and into the thick snow covering the garden. Jongdae made a lot of indignant sounds due to the light and the cold and Minseok laughed from where he stood on the veranda, shivering all the while. It was a strange sight to see the vampire playing in the snow and Minseok knew that he would never forget it.

“See? I’m frolicking and gambolling,” he said loudly as he made a haphazard snow angel.  
“You keep to your word, m-master,” Minseok stammered through his chattering teeth. Only then did Jongdae seem to realise that Minseok was shivering on the veranda and he quickly forgot his silliness and hurried over to him and ushered him inside.  
“Your hands!” he exclaimed as he took up Minseok’s pink shivering hands between his own. Even his hands were far warmer in comparison and he held Minseok’s tightly. “Sorry, Minseok, I got a bit carried away.”

Minseok could only smile at him and shake his head.  
“You really seemed to enjoy playing the piano,” he said. “I’m happy, master.”  
“I feel as though you manipulated me into accompanying you,” Jongdae said in feigned indignation.  
“Well, I heard through the grapevine that _you_ purposely bought violin sheet music, instructed me to organise it, just in order to hear me play,” Minseok retorted. “Isn’t that subtle manipulation, hmm?”  
“Manipulation is a very strong word,” Jongdae spluttered. “And where did you hear that?”

Although they were both joking around Jongdae looked slightly alarmed.  
“Nowhere,” Minseok said quickly. “I’d like to return to the fire.”

He darted away from Jongdae and hurried up the stairs, feeling slightly giddy. Jongdae’s reaction certainly confirmed it, but now Minseok felt odd. It was strange that Jongdae had invested so much into him just to hear him play the instrument and for some reason the thought brought a silly smile to his face.

Jongdae was slow in returning to the music room when Minseok was halfway through a song.  
“Would you like to accompany me again?” he asked hopefully, but then he noticed the melancholic look on Jongdae’s face and he froze.  
“I think I’ve played enough today,” he said softly. “But you carry on, Minseok. I know you’re enjoying yourself.”  
“Did you not enjoy yourself as well, master?” Minseok asked uncertainly.  
“I did…but it brought back some memories I’d rather forget,” Jongdae muttered. Minseok did not know how to respond but he suddenly felt very guilty.  
“I’m sorry if I overstepped my boundary, master,” he said. “It wasn’t my intention.”

Jongdae gave him a wan smile.  
“I know. And as I said, you’re a guest today, so there are no boundaries.”  
Minseok bit his lip and lowered the violin and slowly approached Jongdae and sat beside him.  
“Then may I offer some advice?” he said quietly. Jongdae did not respond but Minseok knew he was listening. “I played violin all throughout my childhood with the vampire children of the family we served. Once we had to flee to the city I was never able to touch it again. It wasn’t long until I discovered that nearly all of those vampires I’d grown up with were dead if they were unable to flee the country.”

Jongdae’s eyes widened at Minseok’s words. He clenched his fingers around the hems of his sleeves.   
“So I thought that it would be painful for me to listen to violin let alone play it,” Minseok continued. “But I know that they would not want me to grieve for them forever and be miserable. I love playing violin and it makes me happy. In a way, playing it keeps the good memories alive. There is a time to grieve but also a time to look back and smile. I don’t think you should give up something you love out of fear of remembering those times, master.”

Jongdae stared at Minseok until he felt the need to look away, but he could not tear his eyes away from Jongdae’s because he saw a lot of emotion swimming in the redness. Minseok understood that his words left an impression on Jongdae, and he made to move away to give him some personal space, but he reached out and grabbed his hand to stop him. His grip was gentle yet firm.

“Thank you, Minseok,” he said softly. “In all these years…no one’s ever said that to me.” He looked up at him with an earnest expression. “You’re very wise, even though you’re very young.” Minseok smiled at him.  
“So will you accompany me again? It sounds a lot better when there are two of us, master.”

They played together for a bit more until Jongdae grew tired, insisting that it was because he had not been awake in the day time for ages, and he retired to his bedroom for a nap. Minseok ventured downstairs to make himself something to eat, and he was rather distracted as he wondered about Jongdae’s past. He was deep in thought while he chopped up ingredients in the kitchen and he did not expect the vampire to appear.

“I want to drink before I nap,” he said with a yawn and he disappeared outside to the cellar. Minseok continued cooking until he accidentally cut his finger. He winced from the sting and cursed at the amount of blood he got on the chopping board. He quickly salvaged what ingredients he could and chucked them in the pot before he moved to wash the board and knife in the sink. Jongdae returned though without a glass bottle of blood.

“I realised that Sehun would have fetched my delivery today,” he muttered, but he stopped mid-step and his eyes immediately darted to Minseok’s bleeding finger. “Are you okay?”  
“It’s just a cut,” Minseok said. He smiled and held out his finger to Jongdae. “I suppose you can have a snack,” he said jokingly. Jongdae seemed stunned for a moment until he burst out laughing. It was a loud goofy laugh and it made Minseok grin.  
“I’ve really never met a human like you before, Minseok,” he gasped through his laughter and wiped a tear from his eye. “Never in all my years.”  
Minseok laughed and sucked on the cut.  
“I’m glad you appreciate my humour, master,” he said. “I think that would have offended anyone else.”  
“Well, I’m not just anyone else,” Jongdae said smugly. “Let me go sleep then.”

While Jongdae napped Minseok ate lunch and returned to the music room and all the while he thought of the vampire.

Jongdae ended up sleeping well into the night and the weather worsened. The wind howled loudly around the house and buffeted against the windows and doors. Minseok was unbothered and ate his supper quietly in the kitchen. He was glad that Jongdae had the sense to send word to Junmyeon or else the poor boy would have died from worry.

After eating and cleaning up Minseok made his way upstairs in search of something to occupy himself with and he glanced out the window on the landing because something caught his eye in the darkness. He opened the curtain fully and squinted to see what looked like a figure standing at the gate though he was not entirely sure. He moved to close the curtain and move away when all of a sudden he was stricken with a sense of gut-wrenching fear and he gasped. His mind flashed back to images of black darkness and the sounds of primeval growls from his nightmare. He tore himself away from the window but he felt as though a pair of malicious eyes were staring at him and burning through his skin. He could not stop himself from sprinting to Jongdae’s bedroom.

“Master,” he panted as he hurried into the room. Jongdae was fast asleep and did not stir at his entrance and Minseok abandoned all qualms and rushed over to the bed.  
“Master – wake up!” His voice trembled slightly and he grabbed Jongdae’s shoulder and as soon as he touched him he jumped up and nearly head-butted him.

“Minseok?!” he gasped. “What’s wrong? You look terrified!”  
“Master, I – I think _he’s_ here,” Minseok stammered. “Prince Yuchan is outside!”

In the light of Minseok’s lantern he saw Jongdae’s face change from shock to a livid scowl.  
“I told him never set foot here again,” he muttered and he threw himself out the bed. “Stay here, Minseok. I promise I won’t let him inside.”

Jongdae did not even throw on a coat over his thin shirt as he stormed out the room. Despite his fear and his master’s words, Minseok could not bear to stay alone in the dark room so he followed the vampire. He crept down onto the landing but hid behind the wall so that he was not visible. He saw Jongdae wrench open the front door and march out into the snow and howling wind. The door slammed shut and Minseok jumped. He tried to steady his nerves, thinking that Jongdae would return soon and he would feel fine again, when the door burst open again to reveal Jongdae, Zhang Yixing, another older vampire he did not recognise, and, to his horror, Prince Yuchan.

“You’d better make this quick,” Jongdae snapped. “I’m only letting _you_ in here because of this godforsaken weather,” he said to Yuchan.  
“Well, I’m pleased I get to see that pretty cleaner of yours again. He smells particularly lovely this evening,” the prince said and his eyes darted up to the landing where he sensed Minseok. He was stricken with fear again and he barely managed to stifle a gasp.  
“If you dare to even think of his name I swear to God I will rip out your throat.”

Jongdae’s voice was low and deadly and Minseok heard something like dark muttering.  
“This isn’t the time, Jongdae,” Yixing said and he sounded exasperated. “We’re only here because Prince Taeyong has been killed!”  
“What? When?” Jongdae exclaimed.  
“He was assassinated in his house about an hour ago,” Yixing said gravely. “No one was caught but the police found human blood on the floor so we think there was a struggle with a human assassin. This is very serious, Jongdae. We need to convene an emergency meeting.”  
“It’s the middle of the night, Yixing,” Jongdae said with a groan.  
“You know very well that it can’t wait any longer,” the other uknown vampire said. “We need to figure out what to do before the rest of the country finds out. So hurry up and make yourself decent and come with us.”

There was a tense silence for a second.  
“Fine,” Jongdae said.

Minseok heard him rushing up the stairs and he just managed to scramble to his feet when he reached him. Jongdae wordlessly grabbed his arm and pulled him along to his bedroom.

“I’m so sorry, Minseok,” he said as he ushered him over to the bed with a tight grip on him. His hands trembled with barely repressed emotion. “I couldn’t hear them outside because of the bloody wind but –“  
“Not now, master, you need to get ready quickly,” Minseok said hastily.  
Jongdae scanned over his face for a moment and Minseok forced a small smile to try and reassure him that he was alright.  
“Right.”

He rushed about the room stripping his clothes and pulling on his formalwear and Minseok averted his eyes. He threw on a long cloak and stopped by Minseok before he made to leave. His eyes were swimming with worry and he reached out a hand to gently brush his fingers against Minseok’s chin, clearly remembering the previous time Yuchan had appeared.

“You’ll be safe here, Minseok. Don’t worry,” he said. He sounded very hesitant to leave but Minseok knew that this was a serious matter regarding the fate of the country so he had to put aside his own fears.  
“I’ll wait for you, master,” he said softly. “Go quickly.”  
Jongdae brushed his thumb across his cheek before he swept out the room, leaving Minseok entirely alone.

Minseok heard the distant slamming of the front door but he did not move. He did not dare try to look out a window in case Yuchan happened to turn his malicious gaze on him. Now for the first time Minseok actually felt afraid at being alone in the house. He did not want to leave Jongdae’s room because it was the only place that gave him some comfort and made him feel safe. He hated feeling scared because it made him feel pathetic. He knew very well that Yuchan was gone and that nothing would happen to him but he really could not help feeling scared. He remained sitting on the bed where Jongdae had left him, keeping still and trying to control his nerves.

It worried him that one of the vampire princes had been assassinated, not only because of how it would worsen the current tensions, but also because he could not help thinking about Jongdae and his position as a prince. He hated to think that Jongdae stayed by himself in such a large house. It was very obvious that Jongdae did not want to get involved in politics and it showed in how he did not even respect his fellow Council members and nobles.

Every now and then Minseok glanced at the clock on the wall. Time passed by painfully slowly and despite his fear and worry he started to grow tired. He desperately tried to stay awake though his eyelids started drooping and his head kept falling onto his chest. Eventually he collapsed back onto the bed and as soon as his head hit the pillow he fell asleep.

* * *

The nightmare returned, though it was short-lived and interrupted by the dream about the forest. The only difference this time was that he was very sure he heard someone softly calling his name. The voice was carried by the soft breeze so he was unsure of whom it belonged to, but it was calm and mellow and settled his restless heart and mind.

Minseok came face-to-face with Jongdae, to his utter surprise, when his sleep broke and he opened his eyes. Jongdae was fast asleep, his long eyelashes fanned over his cheeks, and his face was a mask of serenity. While the duvet had been pulled over Minseok, along with some blankets and Jongdae’s dressing gown, the vampire lay atop all the layers still in his formal clothing and it looked as though he’d collapsed on it out of exhaustion. Only now did Minseok realise that his master had actually carried him upstairs and to the bedroom the previous night and had covered him with blankets. Now, just like the previous night Jongdae had seen to Minseok’s warmth and comfort and the thought made his heart flutter. They lay very close together but Minseok did not want to move away. He wanted to engrain the moment into his memory forever.

Minseok glanced at the clock and saw that it was late morning. He did not want to wake Jongdae but he could not fall asleep again either, so he just lay there looking at him with what he knew was affection. Really, how could he not feel such fondness for his master? He found so much comfort and joy in spending time with him, no matter how brief, and often when he did his dull work at the factory all day he found himself thinking about Jongdae. He thought of their conversations and of how perfectly his lips curled when he smiled. He knew that the memory of the time they’d spent playing music together would be kept deeply within his heart. He had not felt so happy in such a long time. Even now as he lay close beside Jongdae in the silence of the morning Minseok felt something fluttering in his chest and he felt something unexplainable emotions welling up inside him.

But Minseok did not know exactly what he was feeling and for a moment he felt frightened at the mere thought of feeling anything beyond a strong friendship for the vampire. It was already a small miracle that they could overlook the master-servant relationship and the vampire-human relationship and be friends. It was another matter entirely to be anything else. He could not dare to even entertain the thought of anything else.

Jongdae breathed deeply and his eyes fluttered open and Minseok quickly squeezed his eyes shut, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

“Are you awake, Minseok?” Jongdae murmured, his voice rough from sleep. He reached out to brush the hair out of Minseok’s face and he opened his eyes again. He was certain he saw some soft fondness in Jongdae’s tired eyes.  
“Did you sleep well? You had a nightmare,” he said softly and Minseok blinked in surprise.  
“How do you know?” he asked. Jongdae removed his fingers from where they lingered above Minseok’s brow.  
“When I came back you seemed distressed,” he said. “It was because of him.”

Minseok had a feeling that the strange nightmares were the cause of Prince Yuchan and he shuddered at the mere mention of him and pulled the duvet closer to his face.  
“I had a nice dream after that,” he said. “It’s…I’ve been having it for a while.”

He wanted to tell Jongdae about the dream but he suddenly felt shy, as though it was something deeply personal even though it was just a dream about a forest. Jongdae smiled at him and moved away to yawn and stretch his arms.

“I’m sorry about last night,” the vampire said. He sighed and rolled onto his back and Minseok saw the worry lining his young face.  
“Did they find the assassin?” Minseok asked hesitantly.  
“No, but we know it definitely was a human,” Jongdae said. “There’s going to be a parliamentary meeting tomorrow and I have to go.” He sounded like it was the absolute last thing he wanted to do and he pouted slightly.  
“Master, if I may ask, why don’t you give up your title?” Minseok asked quietly. He knew he was being rather bold but he could not help but worry about Jongdae being in danger by being involved in the current politics. Jongdae looked at him with some sadness.  
“I don’t have a choice…” he muttered. “I wasn’t…never mind.”

Silence fell over them and Minseok knew that he should not pry any further into the matter. He sat up and stretched his arms and Jongdae quickly got off the bed. The small moment of comfort and something personal shared between them as they lay close together was gone. Jongdae wandered to the window and opened the curtain slightly and shielded his eyes. Minseok saw that the weather had cleared and the sun was shining though it was a weak winter sun. Just as the previous day, Jongdae prepared a bath for Minseok and he washed and dressed in the clothes he had worn to work on Friday. Even though Jongdae offered him breakfast Minseok declined.

“I think that Junmyeon is probably very worried about me,” he said as he put on his coat and scarf. “Thank you for allowing me to stay here, master.” Jongdae leaned against the doorframe as he watched Minseok and he smiled at him.  
“I really enjoy your company, Minseok,” he said softly and he looked at Minseok in a way that made him shy. “I’ll escort you out, then.”  
Instead of the back door Jongdae led Minseok out through the front and he was surprised when the vampire walked with him all the way through the blanket of snow to the gate. It was very bright and cold outside yet Jongdae only wore his dressing gown. He looked very comical as he trudged through the snow while shielding his face from the sun.

“You’ll get sunburn, master,” Minseok said though he laughed at Jongdae’s displeased expression.  
“I’ll be alright,” he said as he unlocked the gate and Minseok walked through.

He suddenly felt that he really did not want to leave, and that he wanted to stay with Jongdae for another twenty-four hours and probably even more after that. He was feeling a lot of things at the moment, some longing and affection, as well as some worry and apprehension, along with some other things he did not entirely understand, as Jongdae closed the gate and separated them. The vampire stood there for a moment, his hands wound tightly around the iron bars, and he stared at Minseok intently.

“Goodbye, Minseok,” he said.  
“Goodbye, master. Thank you,” Minseok said. He moved to turn away and leave when suddenly Jongdae reached out his hand through the bars and clutched Minseok’s hand. He stopped in his tracks and looked at his master expectantly. Jongdae bit his lip.  
“Get warm soon. You’re freezing again,” he said quickly. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening.” He gave Minseok’s fingers the slightest squeeze before he released his grip and turned to shuffle through the snow and back to the house. Minseok smiled as he watched him go until he was out of sight and he left savouring the feeling of Jongdae’s hand on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salut d'Amour is my ultimate jam for this fic ~


	6. Chapter 6

Junmyeon was very surprised and listened intently when Minseok told him about his time spent at the manor. He did not realise that whenever he spoke about Jongdae or anything to do with him then he would smile, and his eyes would wander to the side and stare at something, until Junmyeon pointed it out with a smirk that Minseok did not like.

Another thing that annoyed Minseok was that Junmyeon was very quick to point out his obvious disappointment when he returned from the manor late on Monday night muttering about how Jongdae had not been at the house. Minseok did not want to dwell on exactly why he was so disappointed because he already knew that he missed his master, but when Junmyeon pointed it out he felt embarrassed. Minseok tried not to think about such things for too long in the absence of his master.

The assassination of Prince Taeyong resulted in an uproar within the vampire community. Some called for revenge and others called for resolution. There were many who argued that there was dire need of an investigation into the underground human rebel groups. All the government did was give statements and implore everyone to remain calm. But it was not long until there was a sudden flood of vampire attacks being reported by humans all over. There were no deaths nor was their concrete evidence other than bite marks which could easily be fabricated. As a result of all the chaos the government received warnings from the Chinese and Japanese ambassadors; if the government did not resolve the situation and prevent a war then they would have to intervene.

During this time Jongdae remained absent from the manor and Minseok could not help but worry. Baekhyun explained to him that he spent a lot of time in meetings and Council gatherings, but there was something about the servants’ mannerisms that made Minseok question his words. Baekhyun was not a very good liar and it was evident whenever he fidgeted and avoided eye-contact when Minseok asked about Jongdae’s whereabouts. Whilst cleaning Minseok was very sure that he heard Jongdae upstairs in his room even though Baekhyun said he was out for the evening. Occasionally an envoy of vampires, Council members and ambassadors, would stop by the manor but they would disappear upstairs for a meeting before Minseok had the chance to peer out a door to see Jongdae.

Minseok started to worry. Was Jongdae intentionally avoiding him? He could not think of why he would do so and so Minseok started overthinking. He only confided his worries in Junmyeon and his friend seemed surprised.

“Maybe he’s just busy, Minseok,” he said one evening. They’d both returned home at midnight together after Minseok met Junmyeon at the bar. Junmyeon sat on his bed dabbing ointment on the bite marks on his arms to minimise the redness. “It sounds like he likes you quite a lot, so I don’t know why he would avoid you.”  
“What do you mean by that?” Minseok said sharply.  
“Well…I mean it’s really obvious,” Junmyeon said, avoiding his eyes.  
“What’s obvious?” Minseok asked, starting to grow anxious. Junmyeon sighed and met his gaze.  
“Although I’ve never met him, it sounds like your master cares about you quite a bit, Minseok. A lot more than what a master normally would care for a servant, _especially_ a cleaner. That time when he sent that Sehun boy here he gave me a handwritten note.”  
“What?” Minseok cried. “You never said so.”  
“Calm down, I’ve got it right here,” Junmyeon said and he went over to the coat hanger and rummaged around in his coat pocket. Minseok snatched the crumbled paper out his hand before he could speak again. He recognised the stationery from the set he’d often organised on Jongdae’s desk and it was written in black ink.

_Dear Mister Kim,_

_I understand that you are Minseok’s housemate and friend. I am his employer and I am writing this letter to alleviate any worries you might have due to his absence. Minseok seems to have overworked himself and fell asleep here and I am reluctant to wake him. Furthermore, the weather is terrible and I would not like him to set out in such a storm. I can assure you that he is safe here._

_Regards,  
Prince Kim Jongdae._

_PS. Ignore whatever nonsense Sehun says. He is a bit of a brat and is very unhappy at being sent out in a snowstorm but he lost a bet amongst the servants and had be the one to do it._

Minseok read over the neat slanted handwriting and his eyes were drawn to his own name. At first he laughed about the mention of Sehun, and then he read the whole thing again and became very engrossed in the way in which Jongdae wrote his name. Junmyeon was watching him with a small smirk and then Minseok remembered their conversation.

“You see what I mean? He wouldn’t send you home but he sent Sehun through a blizzard,” Junmyeon said with a chuckle.  
“He treats us all equally,” Minseok protested. “And as you said, you’ve never met him, so I don’t think you know that much about it.”  
Junmyeon held up his hands defensively though he still smirked at Minseok, much to his annoyance.

He tried to dismiss Junmyeon’s observation because he had never met Jongdae so, really, what did he know? Minseok did not expect to become so defensive on the matter, but he grew more anxious by the day when Jongdae’s absence continued. He decided to corner Chanyeol one evening in the cellar when he dragged him down with a lantern to help sweep the place.

“Why is the master avoiding me?” he said bluntly. Although Chanyeol was far taller than him he cowered slightly under Minseok’s intense gaze.  
“I – he’s been very busy, Minseok,” he spluttered, holding up his lantern and broom between them in self-defence. “He hasn’t been here for a while.”  
“I know for a fact that he hasn’t left the house in two weeks,” Minseok said and Chanyeol paled. “Is there something that I’ve done to warrant this? Please, I really must know.”

While Chanyeol’s eyes were already big, they widened to the size of dinner plates at Minseok’s words.  
“I – I really don’t think so,” he said nervously. “It’s not my place to say anything. Baekhyun said – “  
Chanyeol suddenly clasped his hands over his mouth.  
“What did Baekhyun say? What does he know?” Minseok persisted.  
“I – I didn’t say anything!”

Minseok gave up because he was close to reducing the boy to tears and he returned to his work. He had never swept a floor with so much vehemence before. If Chanyeol’s stutters and reactions were anything to go by then Jongdae definitely was avoiding him. He grew very anxious at the thought because he thought that they were getting on so well. He started to brood and think that he really had overstepped some boundary or something.

When he returned from the cellar the others were sitting in the kitchen working on their homework from their tutoring. Chanyeol hid his face behind his book and tried to shrink himself in his chair.

“Why is the master avoiding me?” Minseok asked, having abandoned all qualms because he really had to know if he were to ever get some peaceful sleep.

A look of alarm flashed across everyone’s faces before Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, and Sehun shot glares at Chanyeol. He was practically under the table with just the tips of his red ears visible.

“Who told you that?” Baekhyun asked in a forced casual voice. Minseok frowned at him.  
“Both you and Chanyeol are terrible liars,” he said. “And I just want to know if I’ve done something wrong.” He knew that he sounded rather desperate but he did not care. “If I’ve really offended him in some way then I’ll resign. I can’t stand this.”  
“Oh, my God, I know we’re not supposed to say anything but I can’t live like this anymore,” Sehun said with a groan. “Minseok, Jongdae is in love with you.”

Minseok dropped the broom he was holding and stared at Sehun in disbelief. He would have thought that he had imagined his words if Baekhyun and Kyungsoo did not react with loud sighs and groans.

“He – what?” Minseok said and he felt slightly breathless.  
“He’s an idiot, Minseok,” Sehun said. “And this is his idiotic way of dealing with his feelings.” Minseok could only gape in shock but the disbelief was evident on his face.

“It’s been obvious for _ages_ ,” Baekhyun said. “Are you really telling me that you’re surprised?”  
“Well…”  
“Oh, my God, you’re both idiots,” Kyungsoo said and he seemed pained by the entire situation.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun giggled but Minseok was still struggling to process everything.  
“B – but wait, how do you know? Did he say anything?” he asked hastily. “You can’t just go around saying things like that.”  
“He used to watch you clean,” Baekhyun said and he sounded bored. “It was insufferable. Every time you left the house he’d run in here and interrogate us about what you said that night and what you ate and what you were like.”  
“After you fixed the violin he nearly passed out,” Chanyeol added. “He was running around like a headless chicken asking us if he should approach you about it and whether or not he should directly give you sheet music.”  
“In the end he settled on making us give it to you,” Sehun said. “But, oh, God, after you played at the Halloween party we never heard the end of it.”  
“Basically, he’s head-over-heels for you, Minseok. And we’ve all been suffering because of it,” Kyungsoo concluded.

The more Minseok listened to them the more he thought that he was hallucinating. Now he realised that the strange movements he’d seen in the darkness whilst cleaning was actually Jongdae. He probably looked rather stricken as he stood in the kitchen with his mind reeling because Kyungsoo took him by the arm and guided him to a chair and whipped up a cup of tea out of nowhere.

“So are you going to confess to him?” Baekhyun asked and Minseok nearly choked on his tea.  
“I can’t – I’ve never – I don’t even know if I feel the same way,” he spluttered, resulting in a collective bout of groans from the table.  
“Minseok, whenever you look at him it’s like there are stars in your eyes,” Baekhyun said and he grimaced. “You practically gush over him.”  
“I do not _gush_ ,” Minseok said indignantly.   
“It’s rather gross,” Sehun said. “So just go and tell him how you feel already and spare us from his lovesick moping.”  
“Wait, none of this explains why he avoids me,” Minseok suddenly said.   
“He’s been avoiding you because he’s an idiot who thinks that his feelings are unrequited,” Baekhyun said. “I don’t know what happened, to be honest, but he’s been miserable for days now.”  
“Then it must be because I’ve done something!” Minseok exclaimed in horror.  
“No, Minseok,” Baekhyun groaned. “I wish I could drag him out his room right now.”

Minseok was rather overwhelmed and for the first time since working at the manor he wished he could go home. He felt incredibly uncertain about his feelings and about his effect on Jongdae. He wished the others had not said anything because now he thought back to every interaction with Jongdae and over-analysed everything to try and figure out his feelings.

While he thought that they had developed a good friendship, it was silly to entertain the idea of Jongdae having feelings for him. It was outright ridiculous. Minseok was just a poor factory worker and house cleaner. He was a poor _human_. Prince Kim Jongdae was a noble vampire. He was Minseok’s master in every sense – it was utterly ridiculous to think that he actually loved him.

But when Minseok thought of his smile, and of his love of music, and of his compassionate nature he could not help but feel something. It was something that made him scared because he did not want to acknowledge his own feelings for Jongdae. If he admitted to himself that he loved him then it would only hurt him because he knew that they could not be anything more than friends. And even so, friendship pushed the boundaries.

Minseok really wished that Sehun and the others had never said anything because he fell into an awful state of worried brooding. His mind was bombarded with all of his fond memories of Jongdae and all the moments that brought a smile to his face, but now it only made his heart ache. In a way he was glad that the vampire was avoiding him because he could not bear to see him and be reminded of their differences.

* * *

Minseok was cleaning a room that had been occupied by Yixing the last time he’d visited. He was glad to see that it still remained clean, but he was not concentrating on anything as he changed the linen and swept the floor. He was rather distressed as he brooded about the entire situation because he honestly did not know what to think or feel. In the past few days he had been slightly miserable and very quiet. Even Junmyeon had stopped pressing him about what was bothering him because Minseok did not want to verbalise it and make it concrete.

“Minseok? I’ve got a job for you,” Baekhyun said as he popped his head into the room.  
“What is it?” he asked and he was surprised at how despondent he sounded.  
“You’ve never been into the roof, right? I think there’s a dumb little bat stuck in there,” Baekhyun said with a shudder. Minseok sighed.  
“What must I do? Ask it to leave?” he muttered as he followed Baekhyun out the room. At the end of the second floor, on the far side opposite Jongdae’s bedroom, there was a small door that opened to a very narrow set of stairs that led up into the one and only turret of the house. Minseok had never been instructed to clean there before because Jongdae thought it was unnecessary.  
“Just get it out before it dies in there and stinks up the house,” Baekhyun said hastily and he practically pushed Minseok up the stairs.  
“It’s so cold up here, Baekhyun,” Minseok groaned as he climbed up, holding his lamp in front of him. “Could you bring me gloves or something?”

But Baekhyun did not respond and Minseok heard the door slam shut. He muttered a curse under his breath and stepped up onto a very creaky wooden floor. When he held up his lantern to try and see how big the space was he shrieked because Jongdae’s pale face appeared out of nowhere. Minseok dropped the lamp and it rolled out of his reach.

“Minseok!”  
“Master!”   
“I’m sorry for scaring you.”  
“It’s my mistake.”

They both bent down to scramble for the lamp and Minseok accidentally head-butted the vampire and he fell over onto his backside.  
“Ow!”  
“I’m so sorry!” Minseok gasped. He crouched down on his knees and grabbed the lamp and held it up to Jongdae’s face. He clutched a hand to his forehead and winced from the light.  
“Don’t apologise,” he muttered. “What’re you doing here?”  
“Uh, Baekhyun sent me here to get rid of a bat,” Minseok said though as he spoke some realisation slowly dawned on him. “Why would you be here, master?”  
“Baekhyun told me there was a squirrel in here,” Jongdae grumbled. “I called him a liar because it’s the middle of winter and this is the last place a squirrel would be, but he insisted that he couldn’t bear to get rid of it because it was so cute.”

Minseok did not know whether to laugh or cry at their situation. Jongdae seemed very anxious to get out so he scrambled down the stairs with the intention of giving Baekhyun a mouthful. Minseok did not blame him as he also did not want to be stuck in the roof with him. He had not seen the vampire in a while and he did not want to in his current state of turmoil. But when Jongdae tried to open the door it remained shut. He tugged on the door handle and shook it a bit before letting out a deep sigh.

“I’m going to throttle him,” he muttered under his breath. Minseok watched him with growing anxiety because he did not want to be locked in the roof with Jongdae. It was an incredibly small circular space and there was a thick layer of dust on the floor. There were a few gaps in the roof tiles and the frosty winter air tore through it and bit through Minseok’s clothing. He sighed and drew his knees to his chest to try and retain some warmth. After wrestling with the door for a bit longer Jongdae swore and marched back up the stairs in sullen defeat.

“You’re cold,” he said irritably and he shrugged off his dressing gown and draped it over Minseok’s shoulders. He hated how it made his heart flutter and he wanted to shrug it off.  
“It’ll get dirty, master,” Minseok said but Jongdae shook his head. He sat down beside him and rested his elbows on his knees. Minseok bit his lip nervously as the silence grew heavy. Minseok knew that Jongdae was too awkward to say anything and that unless he spoke first then they would be stuck in the roof forever.

“I haven’t seen you in a while,” he said softly.  
“I’ve been busy,” Jongdae said, determinedly avoiding his eyes. He had never used such a dismissive tone with Minseok before and it stung him. He drew his knees tighter against his chest as if it would ease his heart. The silence pressed down upon his shoulders and only worsened the knot of anxiety in his stomach.

“I…have I done something wrong?” he said in a voice barely above a whisper. Jongdae turned sharply to look at him and he looked alarmed.  
“No, not at all, Minseok,” he said quickly. “I just…I’ve…I don’t want you to call me master anymore.” He could not seem to formulate a sentence and Minseok felt like his heart was going to burst out his chest.  
“You can dismiss me if you wish,” Minseok said. “If you really don’t wish to see me – “  
“I would never do that,” Jongdae said suddenly. “You’ve done nothing wrong, Minseok.”

He ran his hands through his unkempt hair, making it even messier and he took a deep breath.   
“I don’t want you to call me master anymore, Minseok,” he said again and it sounded like he was trying hard to keep his voice even. “I told the others not to but the habit seems to stick, but I don’t want them to because they’re my friends. They’re my friends and...” he trailed off to take a deep breath and Minseok felt that he would truly die if Jongdae did not finish speaking. “…I consider you my friend, but I’ve also grown very attached to you, Minseok. I’ve realised that…that I’ve developed feelings for you.”

Jongdae seemed to be struggling to get his words out but all Minseok could do was listen intently. Minseok stared at him because it was very different hearing the words from Jongdae’s mouth instead of Sehun’s. He felt the same feelings he’d felt in the kitchen – surprise, some disbelief, as well as an indescribable emotion welling up in his chest. Jongdae averted his eyes and looked at the dusty floor.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help the way I feel. I know it’s inappropriate so I’d understand if you wish to resign,” he said with a heavy sigh.  
“No, I don’t want to resign,” Minseok said suddenly, making Jongdae glance up to meet his gaze. “I…I don’t…”

Of all the moments to lose his words to his nerves, now was really the worst, because Minseok desperately wanted to tell Jongdae that he felt the same way, but he was just so flustered and the sad, resigned look in Jongdae’s eyes made him doubt himself.

“I don’t want you to feel obliged to do anything, Minseok,” he said quietly. “I wish I didn’t feel these feelings. I really wish that I could tear out my heart. I’ve allowed myself to get too close to you and I’m sorry. I know that you feel compelled to obey me as your master and that’s the last thing I want.”

Minseok stared at him as his words slowly stung his heart like icy thorns. He saw traces of misery laced in Jongdae’s face in how his lips turned downwards in the most unnatural curve and in how his brows were furrowed. Jongdae wished that he did not feel anything for Minseok. He wanted to get rid of his affections and he did not want to be involved with him in anything beyond friendship and Minseok was shocked at how much his words hurt him. Minseok could not find anything to say. The silence was heavy and he turned his face away from Jongdae.

Jongdae got up and tried to open the door again and this time it actually opened and he stumbled out into the corridor, but Minseok remained sitting on the floor with his master’s dressing gown still draped over his shoulders. He heard Baekhyun’s voice though he was actually quiet for once and Minseok could not hear his words. Jongdae responded, and there was a hint of anger in his muffled words. Minseok drew his knees closer to his chest.

Baekhyun thundered up the stairs and rushed over to him, his eyes wide in confused shock.  
“Minseok, what happened? Didn’t he confess?”  
“He did,” Minseok said softly and he was surprised at the sudden emotion welling up in his throat. “But he resents his feelings.”

Baekhyun stared at him and his face fell.  
“Minseok, I swear to God he hasn’t ever said that to us,” he said. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him – “  
“You can’t expect him to tell you everything, Baekhyun,” Minseok interjected. “I was stupid enough to think I was close with him.”  
“But…but I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Baekhyun’s voice was very small and remorseful. Minseok knew he had orchestrated the whole ordeal, but he did not dislike him for it. He reached out to pat his arm though he could not bring himself to force a smile.

“It’s okay. I know you’re just trying to be a good friend to the both of us,” he said. “Is he angry with you?”  
“Yeah he is. I’m an idiot,” Baekhyun muttered, looking away sheepishly. He ran his hands through his hair and made a sound of frustration. “Why doesn’t he want to accept it, though? What’s wrong with him?”  
“We could never be together, Baekhyun,” Minseok said softly. “He’s a vampire prince and I’m…me. Such things don’t happen anymore.”  
Baekhyun seemed to be searching for something to say but Minseok did not want to talk about the matter anymore. He shrugged off the dressing gown and gave it to Baekhyun.  
“Please give this back to him. It’s going to get dirty,” he said. “I’ll clean the roof anyway. I don’t think I’d be able to sleep at night knowing it looks like this.”  
Baekhyun held the dressing gown and looked at him sadly.  
“Minseok…”  
“Get going. We can’t both fit in here,” Minseok said, shooing him away with his duster. Baekhyun looked reluctant but he left him alone in the roof.

He started sweeping but he was hardly concentrating on cleaning. There was a tight pain in his chest because Jongdae actually wished that he had not developed feelings for Minseok and he sounded very much like he regretted everything that had transpired between them. Minseok thought back to the intimate moments they’d shared and now he wondered if Jongdae regretted and resented it all.

He thought back to when he’d fallen asleep in his bed and woke up so close to him that he could count each of his long eyelashes. Jongdae had obviously not wanted to sleep beside him, now that Minseok remembered how short-lived the moment had been, and Minseok berated himself for falling asleep in his bed and invading his space. All of their conversations in the library and the jokes they’d shared meant nothing now that Jongdae did not recall them with fondness and affection, but instead with bitterness. He thought back to the time they’d spent in the music room, memories incredibly dear to Minseok’s heart, and he felt a tear roll down his cheek and it fell to the floor, making a mark in the dust.

It would have been better if Jongdae did not feel anything for him. It would be better than having feelings for him and then hating it all because it made Minseok more certain than ever it was because of _him_. He, Minseok, just a lowly human, could never dare to hope for the love of a vampire prince. He should count himself incredibly lucky that Jongdae was one of the very few vampire princes who actually disregarded such differences with regards to how kind he was to his servants. But it would push the boundary to hope for anything more, so why was he crying? How dare he think that he could ever attain Jongdae’s affections? Had every act and moment of his own affection been out of his innate obligation towards his master? Had Minseok unintentionally led him on in some way to mislead him? He did not know what to think or feel anymore as more tears rolled down his cheeks.

He hastened to finish cleaning because he wanted to go home as soon as possible. For once he wanted to leave the manor and never return. His only place of solace and escape from the awful reality of the world was now ruined. It had all been a silly construction, anyway. He had foolishly placed so much importance on the manor to try and recreate the lost fragments of his childhood. Minseok berated himself for being so naïve.

“I might not come in tomorrow. I just need to think about some things,” he said quietly to Baekhyun as he buttoned up his coat. “Is that alright?”  
Baekhyun stared at him, and Minseok knew that his eyes were very red and wet.  
“Yes, uh, there are guests coming anyway,” he said. Minseok nodded and bade him goodnight and put on his hat and left the warmth of the kitchen for the bitterly cold evening.

That evening was one of the few when Minseok and Junmyeon agreed to walk home together so Minseok made his way to the blood bar to fetch him. He waited in the lobby area and sat with his shoulders hunched to avoid being looked at by any curious vampires.

“Hello, Minseok. Sorry if I kept you waiting,” Junmyeon said when he appeared. Minseok noticed how pale he seemed in the light.  
“I think you should take a break from this, Junmyeon,” Minseok said once they were outside and walking down the street. “I’m worried about your health.”  
“I told you they give us medicine,” Junmyeon said in a quiet voice. “Anyway, er, I won’t be going back for a while, so don’t worry.  
“Oh? Why?” Minseok asked, momentarily forgetting his misery. Junmyeon had a curious expression that Minseok associated with secretiveness.  
“I heard that China and Japan are going to place embargos on Korea,” Junmyeon said in a very quiet voice. “The assassination of Prince Taeyong has something to do with it.”

Minseok remembered the night very clearly as that was when Prince Yuchan had made another appearance. He shuddered at the memory.  
“So because of the embargos it won’t really be safe for me to work there for much longer,” Junmyeon continued. “It’ll get too crowded and out of control.”  
“How did you find out about this?” Minseok asked. Junmyeon averted his eyes.  
“My…my client told me,” he said hastily. “He’s a government official.”  
“Oh.”

Minseok had neither the energy nor the motivation to try and interrogate Junmyeon for more details so he just left it. They continued to walk home in silence while Minseok thought about what he was supposed to do with regards to the manor. He could not face Jongdae again, but he desperately needed the job.

That night for the first time in a while he dreamt of his childhood home and it only made his heart ache even more.

* * *

Minseok returned to the manor the following evening, taking Baekhyun by surprise. He thought that he had lied about Jongdae having guests, but when he got there he saw all the servants bustling about trying to decorate the dining room.

“I thought you weren’t coming in,” Baekhyun said quietly to him as he gave him some supper. The others were too busy to sit down and eat with him and he heard Chanyeol drop something heavy on Sehun’s foot in the dining room, resulting in a lot of cursing.  
“I need the money,” Minseok muttered into his bowl. “I shouldn’t let personal things get in the way of my job.”

He was surprised at how cold his tone was and Baekhyun was as well if the look on his face was any indication. He seemed to have nothing more to say so he darted out the kitchen and left Minseok alone. He finished quickly and got to work on the second floor. It was not long until he heard the sound of vampires arriving downstairs, making a noise all the while, and Minseok was surprised that they were able to have social functions in such troubled times, though he knew that Jongdae only had to host out of social obligation.

True to Junmyeon’s words, that morning the papers were full of reports about import bans and embargos. Not only did the ban affect blood imports, but it also affected food imports that were vital to the country. It resulted in a number of protests around the country and Minseok had never seen a bigger police presence before as he walked through the streets. Even his nightly journey to the manor was different now than what it had been the previous day. The vampires glared at him as he passed as he was usually the only human in sight. All he could do was keep his head down and hope that none of them were as aggressively angered as the humans were.

While walking down the corridor to make for a bathroom to fill up his bucket, Minseok happened to run into Jongdae’s guests as they were traipsing up the stairs. He hastened to push himself close to the wall to stay out of their way and he bowed to them. It was a smaller group than usual, but Minseok really wished that they had not seen him. He found himself becoming rather annoyed at the rate at which Jongdae allowed people to wander about his house unaccompanied. They stared at him with sharp gazes.

“Oh, aren’t you the little violinist from the Halloween party?” one of the women said.  
“I remember! He was very good,” another vampire said. “But do you work here?”  
“I am a cleaner, sir,” Minseok said quietly, not looking up to meet their eyes. There was an eruption of murmurs for a moment until Minseok heard the familiar sound of Jongdae’s footsteps coming up the stairs. He really wished that the floor would swallow him and he would disappear. He saw Jongdae’s feet stop in a moment of shock.

“Jongdae, this cleaner says he was the violinist from your party,” the vampire said with a tone of revulsion, as though Minseok was telling a blatant lie. He kept his eyes focused on the floor.  
“Yes. He’s very adept at violin, so I asked him to play for us that evening,” Jongdae said, his voice as casual as ever. There was an audible gasp from one of the vampires and some murmurs of disapproval from several others. Minseok flushed from embarrassment.

“You never had a problem with it until now, I see,” Jongdae muttered without hiding his annoyance. “You’re dismissed, Minseok.”  
“Yes, master,” said quietly and he hurried away from the group and down the corridor and down the stairs. He did not realise that his feet were moving automatically until he found himself in the music room. The place that used to bring him so much solace was now a reminder of his own silly fantasy. The sight of the piano and the violin case made him feel even worse so he left and he found himself leaving the house before the end of his shift. He was able to get out without being noticed and he hunched his shoulders against the cold as he hurried through the gate and down the street with tears streaming down his face. He had never felt such shame before in his life until that moment. The pure displeasure and revulsion in the tones of the vampires was more than enough to reaffirm how he could never be anything more than a servant to Jongdae. While Jongdae already pushed the boundary in his blatant disregard for his superiors and propriety, even he could not get away with such a thing as being friends with his servants in front of those in his social circles.

Minseok was so lost in his misery while he passed the cemetery that he did not notice the sound of clumsy footsteps until he heard a hushed voice. He jumped around and froze, but there was nothing in sight. He was still for a moment and his heart beat quickly as he tried to see or listen for any indication that there was someone behind him. He thought that he was just on edge at the moment and being near the cemetery so late at night probably spooked him slightly, so he turned around and carried on walking, wiping his wet eyes all the while.

He would give anything to go back in time to stop the wars and conflicts from happening. If he had managed to grow up happily with his family and the vampires they served then he probably could have met Jongdae at a party in a grand house somewhere in the countryside. They could have become friends, and then eventually fallen in love, and there would be nothing holding them back from being together. But hundreds of years of violence and prejudice had seen to the end of such dreams and all Minseok could do was play his part as the polite human servant, always aware of his inferiority. It was worse that he was seen as even more inferior by humans so he really did not fit in anywhere and he was aware of it every single day of his life. He was stuck between two worlds and he could not hope to belong to either of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The angst train has arrived I hope everyone is ready ~ ✿ thank you to everyone who has left kudos and comments ♡＾▽＾♡


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Abi bc we're both very like-minded when it comes to vampires (⺣◡⺣)♡*  
> I was going to upload this tomorrow but the XiuChen Love Shot teasers grabbed me by the jugular adffsdgsdgsd

Minseok did not return to the manor the following day or the day after. He fell into a deep state of misery and the only thing making him trudge to his menial job at the factory every day was his own hunger. Junmyeon tried to coax the reason for his misery out of him but Minseok did not want to talk about the matter. There were more important things to worry about at the moment and the increasing anti-vampire sentiment was one of them. Minseok was used to the daily abuse he faced at the factory but it was starting to peak. People cursed at him wherever he went and many were not afraid to physically shove past him. He just put his head down and ignored it all.

Another immense worry for Minseok was Junmyeon’s rapidly declining health. If he thought about it then the signs were there already before he woke up one day to find that his friend was struggling to get up. He was incredibly pale and weak and all Minseok could do for him was give him tea and make sure he was comfortable and warm. He was slightly comforted as he could take Junmyeon to the doctor once he’d returned from work, but he still worried for his friend for the entire day. The hours passed painfully slowly at the factory and all he wanted to do was leave and see to his friend.

Minseok was so worried over Junmyeon that he did not notice anything amiss in the factory when more than half of the workers got up from their workstations. It took him a moment to notice them gathering to one side of the room and he was confused until he noticed something being distributed amongst them. They were all donning red sashes on their arms, bearing the symbol of a cross, and he felt dread creeping upon him. He knew that afternoon the vampire who owned the factory was on the premises for a scheduled visit and seeing the symbol of anti-vampire sentiment made him guess that they had planned something.

The other workers also seemed confused and exchanged glances when all of a sudden there was something like a shout and the sound of glass breaking. Minseok could not see what was happening but he quickly got to his feet just as the fire alarm sounded. The shrill sirens made him wince but he pushed his way through the crowd stampeding to the exit. There was an eruption of shouting and banging behind him and he didn’t know if it was a riot or some uprising but all he had to do was get out.

He managed to snatch his coat and other possessions from his locker and hurried outside with the crowd of people when he heard something that sounded very much like gunfire and it made him freeze in horror. He could smell smoke, and he heard more shouts and crashes, and then he abandoned all caution and sprinted to the gates and out onto the street. A sudden explosion pierced his eardrums and left his ears with a horrible ringing sound and when he glanced around he gasped to see that a portion of the factory was up in flames. Black smoke billowed around it high up into the grey sky. Now everyone who had remained inside started to rush out of the burning building but Minseok saw that they were angry and armed.

He wasted no time and ran down the street and out of sight. As he passed the surrounding factories and warehouses he was horrified to see other groups of people wearing the red armbands and brandishing weapons. Though he did not stop to look he could smell more fires and smoke and it only made him run faster.

He did not stop until he was through his front door and he slid to the floor, panting and sweating.

“Minseok?”

Junmyeon’s voice was so weak that Minseok momentarily forgot about the chaos outside and he hurried over to his friend’s bedside. He was still sickly and weak though he tried to sit up.

“Junmyeon – there’s a riot or something,” Minseok panted. “I just managed to get away. I don’t know if it’s safe to go outside.”  
“Riot? What happened?” he asked and his eyes widened in alarm.  
“I don’t know, it happened so fast,” Minseok said. “It’s that anti-vampire movement; they planned something with all the factories. There were explosions and gunshots but I have no idea what actually happened.”

Junmyeon looked shocked but there was still fatigue in his eyes and he fell back against the pillows.  
“I doubt I can get you to the doctor, Junmyeon,” Minseok muttered. “Let’s just hope that it’ll die down.” Junmyeon said nothing, and his obvious weakness made Minseok worry more.

All Minseok could do was make some food and try to feed him, but he had no appetite and he did not even drink anything. The sun was setting and yet the chaos only worsened outside if the sounds of gunshots and sirens were any indication. There were so many sirens and wails and other sounds Minseok did not even want to think about. Although the view from his fourth floor window was limited Minseok could make out clouds of black smoke all over the sector of the city and it made him worry. Minseok dared to step out to ask his neighbours if they knew anything about the situation. It was confirmed to be a riot but no one knew what was happening. To Minseok it sounded like a small war and it made him incredibly scared.

He only knew stories of what had occurred in the city in the previous war and his mind raced anxiously. The anti-vampire movements often forcibly recruited other humans to fight and they were known for being tyrannical. As he peered through the curtains at the dark streets below he looked out for signs of a mob approaching the building, but the streets were eerily empty. He and the other inhabitants of the apartment resolved to keep their curtains closed and the lights off in case it would attract trouble, but there was no need because it was not long until the electricity suddenly cut off. A glance out the window showed that the entire industrial sector of the city was in darkness. The only light Minseok could see was that of small fires raging on in the distance.

“I’m cold,” Junmyeon murmured, half-asleep, and curled up tightly beneath his duvet and blankets. Minseok did not mind not having lights as he had been using a candle, but now there was no heating in the apartment. He felt his hands tremble slightly as he took his own blanket to layer over Junmyeon.  
“There’s no electricity,” Minseok said, trying to keep his voice steady. “Are you warmer now? I don’t know what else to do.”

Junmyeon made a noncommittal hum but when Minseok felt his forehead it was clammy and cold. He really felt hopeless now as he sat in the dark with his sickly friend. What could he do for him? The fact that the sector’s power had been cut meant that there was some sort of intervention but it also meant that it was far too dangerous to venture outside. They only had two candles to illuminate the small dark apartment and Minseok sat on the edge of Junmyeon’s bed with his knees drawn to his chest. He heard him make small sounds of discomfort and he lay down beside him and drew an arm around him in a desperate attempt to provide some warmth.

Minseok was on the verge of anxious tears, feeling utterly hopeless, when a loud knocking on the front door made him jump. His heart stopped for a moment of sheer fear and panic, thinking that those from his factory had somehow found where he lived and were taking the lawlessness as an opportunity to settle their grievances with him. The knock resounded again and Minseok’s fear spiked. He stared at the door and held his breath as he slowly crept to the kitchen to grab a knife he had left on the counter. He held it tightly, trying to steady his breath, when the knock resounded for the third time.

“Minseok! It’s me!”

He froze at the sound of the loud whisper, shocked and confused for a moment, before he abandoned the knife and hurried across the small space and wrenched open the door to find Jongdae standing on the threshold. He pushed his way inside before Minseok could react and locked the door behind him. He wore his black cloak and a hat obscured his face from view.

“Are you alright? I had to check on you – the riot is insane outside and the entire sector is under lockdown,” he said in a hushed voice and he sounded breathless. Minseok was speechless for a moment until he remembered his friend.

“Never mind me. Junmyeon is sick and I don’t know what to do,” he said frantically. “I was supposed to get him to the doctor but we can’t now.”  
“Let me see him,” Jongdae said and he removed his hat. In the dim candlelight he looked incredibly gaunt though Minseok tried to not look at him as he led him to Junmyeon’s bed.  
“Junmyeon? I’m Jongdae,” the vampire said kindly as he knelt down beside him. Junmyeon seemed vaguely aware of his presence as he turned his head to look at him.

Something like recognition passed through Junmyeon’s eyes but now Jongdae raised his eyebrows as he stared at him.  
“How do you know Yixing?” Jongdae suddenly asked and Minseok thought he had misheard him.  
“What?” Minseok asked.  
“Yixing…is my client,” Junmyeon murmured.  
“Show me his arm, Minseok,” Jongdae said as he straightened up. Minseok was utterly bewildered but Jongdae looked very serious so he pulled back the layers of duvets and blankets covering Junmyeon. He made a sound of discomfort but Minseok was quick in rolling up his sleeves to reveal the bite marks all along his arm. Jongdae stared for a moment and nodded.  
“What’s going on? What does the ambassador have to do with him?” Minseok asked suspiciously as he hastened to get Junmyeon warm again.  
“His scent is all over Junmyeon. I’ll go get him. He’ll know what to do,” Jongdae said. Then he hurried out the apartment without another word, leaving Minseok in a state of confusion.

“Does the ambassador feed from you?” Minseok asked as he turned to Junmyeon. He was slow in responding with a nod but he kept his eyes averted. Minseok knew not to pester him in his current state but he was thoroughly confused. Junmyeon had never mentioned it to him, but the fact that Jongdae sensed Yixing meant that he had recently drank from Junmyeon, and Minseok frowned as he realised that he had caused his current state of anaemia.

The minutes passed by painfully slowly as Minseok waited impatiently, anxiously watching Junmyeon as he fell into a fitful sleep. He was so afraid that one day he would just sleep and never wake up and Minseok did not know what he would do if that happened.

Jongdae’s loud knocks on the door startled him but he was quick in opening the door. Jongdae and Yixing, also wearing a black cloak, hurried inside and the ambassador greeted Minseok but he frowned at him.

“Why did you drink from Junmyeon?” he asked, not caring about the rudeness of his tone. “He’s sickly enough as it is and now with the embargo going on how can you expect him to keep providing you with blood?”

Jongdae and Yixing were both taken aback, but the ambassador looked at Minseok with an earnest expression.  
“I haven’t drunk from him in weeks, Minseok,” he said gently.  
“Jongdae said your scent is on him,” he retorted, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.  
“He hasn’t,” Jongdae interjected before Minseok could get any more defensive. “I checked his arm. He, well…”

He and Yixing shared a glance and the latter looked a bit bashful for a moment.  
“Junmyeon and I have been seeing each other for some time,” he said quietly.  
“Yixing?”

The commotion had woken Junmyeon and before Minseok had any time to process Yixing’s words the vampire hurried past him at the sound of Junmyeon’s weak voice. He knelt down at his bedside and bent close to him and Minseok was shocked to see him press a small kiss to his forehead. He spoke softly to Junmyeon, in murmurs meant only for his ears, and Minseok felt he was intruding on something so he turned away and went into the kitchen.

“I suspected he’s been involved with a human for a while,” Jongdae said quietly as he followed Minseok. “But he didn’t tell me anything when I asked.”

Minseok did not know what to say, but now as he thought about Junmyeon’s behaviour in the past month or so it made sense. Sometimes he said he was working at the bar, even though it was too soon since his last shift, and now Minseok realised that he had most likely been seeing Yixing somewhere else. Junmyeon, a poor human who solicited blood in the late evenings for extra money, was in a relationship with a high-ranking vampire ambassador, and the thought made Minseok sink down to sit on the cold tiled floor.

“He really loves him,” Jongdae murmured, his gaze lingering on the two across the room, and Minseok felt a pain in his heart.  
“Will Yixing get into trouble if anyone finds out?” he asked quietly.  
“Yes. He would lose his job and get sent back to China,” Jongdae said. “God knows what Junmyeon would go through here.”  
“Junmyeon knows exactly what would happen to him,” Minseok said with a slightly hard edge to his voice. “He would be arrested and probably tortured and killed in prison. And yet he still took the risk. But you won’t let me do the same.”

He spoke without thinking, but it was too late and Jongdae stared at him. His eyes were wide and redder than ever in the dimness. Minseok met his gaze and he drew his knees to his chest.  
“What?” Jongdae asked in a hesitant whisper.  
“You never gave me a chance to respond that evening,” Minseok said. “You never gave me a chance to tell you that I also care a lot about you, master. I care so much for you that it feels as though my heart will explode.”  
Jongdae gaped at him and it seemed that he was holding his breath.  
“I don’t want you to – “  
“I’m not doing it out of my obligation as your servant,” Minseok interjected, unable to keep the annoyance out his voice. “I have a will of my own. I would give you my own blood if you asked, master, and I would do so freely, because I love you. I know that you don’t want this and I respect your wishes. But please don’t think that any of my feelings towards you aren’t genuine.”

Minseok felt a bit breathless after speaking but he was glad to finally get it all out. Jongdae just stared at him for a moment of shock until he knelt down beside him. His expression was unreadable though his eyes softened.

“I don’t want this? Minseok, I want it so desperately,” he said softly. “I – I didn’t want, ugh, I’m so stupid.”  
He his hit palm against his forehead and cursed himself and Minseok felt himself smile despite his overwhelming sadness at their situation. Jongdae suddenly grabbed his hand and held it tightly and his eyes were hard.  
“I’ve hurt you and I’m so sorry,” he said. “You misinterpreted my words, and that’s my fault for bringing it across in such a stupid way. I would want nothing more than to have my feelings reciprocated. But you and I both know that we can’t be together.”  
“It’s not fair,” Minseok muttered as he felt his chest tightening at Jongdae’s words. He did not want to let go of his hand and he realised that he was being slightly childish but he did not care. He thought back to the reaction of Jongdae’s guests the other evening and he could barely imagine their reaction if they were to discover that the prince had feelings for him.

They sat close together in silence for a moment, still holding hands, and then Minseok was reminded of Yixing’s presence when he suddenly appeared. Jongdae quickly removed his hand and they both got to their feet. Now Minseok saw that Yixing looked just as pale and gaunt as Jongdae and he knew that he was truthful about not drinking from Junmyeon.

“He’ll be fine,” he said to Minseok. “I brought some medicine, so just make sure he takes it until it’s finished.”  
“Thank you,” Minseok said. “I wish we could get him to a doctor...though I suppose we can’t, considering all his bite marks. What’s happening outside anyway?”  
“The anti-vampire groups organised a revolt and they managed to attack a vampire,” Jongdae said quietly and his face was grave. “He’s not a politician but he’s on the Council. He owns several factories here.”  
Minseok gasped in realisation.  
“He owns the factory I work at,” he said. “I remember he came there today and there was some sort of explosion.”

Jongdae looked rather alarmed but Yixing spoke before he could say anything.  
“Minseok, you and Junmyeon need to stay inside tomorrow,” he said. “Neither Jongdae nor I can predict when the lockdown will be lifted and the only reason he and I can get in and out of here is because we move quickly.”  
“I feel like we’re trapped here,” Minseok muttered.  
“I can bring you some food and other things until your electricity is restored,” Yixing said. “Ambassadors are allowed quite a few privileges in spite of the embargos.” He sounded rather annoyed at the blatant display of corruption and Minseok smiled at him.  
“Thank you, Yixing,” he said.  
“I’ll stay here with you,” Jongdae suddenly said. “I don’t want you two to be alone.”  
“That would give me peace of mind as well,” Yixing said and Minseok noticed a knowing glint in his eye that would have been more apparent if he smiled. “Let me go. I’ll return later.”

Minseok and Jongdae bade him goodbye and he swiftly left the apartment. Minseok went over to check on Junmyeon and saw that he was fast asleep and his face was a mask of peace. Yixing had left the medication on the bedside table and only now could Minseok sit down on his own bed and sigh in relief.

“Yixing knows a lot about these anaemia-related illnesses,” Jongdae said as he observed Junmyeon. “Yixing’s a bit older than me, and I know he’s never been with anyone before, so I’m glad for them. But I can’t say I’m not worried.” He stood by the wall looking rather awkward and Minseok patted the space beside him on the bed.  
“Sit down, Jongdae,” he said. Jongdae looked up in surprise at the sound of his name and he hesitantly sat beside him, though not too close.

Minseok took in his face properly now and saw the dark shadows surrounding his red eyes and how sharply pronounced his cheekbones were. His skin tone was pale and there was the faintest trace of purpled veins near his temples. He felt something tugging at his heart as he took in his sickly appearance.

“When did you last drink blood?” Minseok asked.  
“Too long ago,” Jongdae muttered. “I don’t know what these embargos will achieve other than making everyone even angrier.”  
“You know, I was being serious when I said I would offer you my blood,” Minseok said softly.  
“I know, and I appreciate it greatly,” Jongdae replied. His hand edged towards Minseok’s though he hesitated. Minseok took the initiative and intertwined their fingers tightly. Not too long ago he had just confessed his love for Jongdae and yet he felt no better than before. He was relieved that he had misinterpreted Jongdae’s words and that he did relish in his feelings for Minseok, and that it was more their circumstances he resented, but still Minseok was not entirely glad.

“Were you angry with Baekhyun for getting involved?” Minseok asked after a moment of silence. “He had good intentions.”  
“I was…but I wasn’t too hard on him,” Jongdae said with a small laugh. “I forbade them from interfering or saying anything to you, but I suppose I’m too lenient of a master.”  
“We all knew that when you allowed Sehun to make you carry your own packages into the house,” Minseok said as he smiled at the memory of the boy whining outside on a particularly snowy night, causing Jongdae to practically fly downstairs just to make him shut up. His grip tightened on Minseok’s hand.  
“I’ve missed you, Minseok,” he said and he looked at him with wide eyes. “God knows how much I miss accompanying you on the piano.”  
“Me too, Jongdae,” Minseok said with a sigh. “I hope this doesn’t last long…I don’t like the thought of being trapped here,” he said as he glanced at the window, knowing that chaos still raged on outside.  
“I’ll stay with you for as long as I can,” Jongdae said. “But I’ll probably be summoned to a Council meeting in the morning. I’m sorry.”  
“Don’t be. You’re already doing enough,” Minseok said.

Silence fell over them again and Minseok just watched Junmyeon sleeping, still holding Jongdae’s hand, until Yixing finally returned bearing a number of useful supplies. He and Jongdae spoke privately in the kitchen for a moment in very hushed voices, and while Minseok could not hear what they were saying he had a feeling that it concerned him in some way as Yixing happened to glance in his direction a few times. He started to grow drowsy while they spoke and before he knew it he had fallen asleep listening to the sound of Jongdae’s low hushed voice.

* * *

_The purple flowers were as fragrant as ever as Minseok walked through the forest. Though he usually felt calm in the place, tonight there was something heavy on his heart. He felt restless as he walked around in search of the clearing. He tried to follow the bright light of the moon as he walked through the thick trees but he was just walking around aimlessly. He was so certain that he heard someone calling his name but he had no sense of direction. He started to grow slightly distressed, the first time feeling such a thing in the forest, and he knew that he was entirely lost._

_“Minseok.”_

_It was a warm, soft voice behind him and it was laced with emotion. He turned around to see Jongdae. His eyes were brighter and redder than ever as if reflecting the light of the moon. Minseok reached out to grasp his hand and it was warm and soft. They said nothing to one another and just stood in silence but he felt his heart easing slightly. Although he was lost in the middle of the forest he was calm because he was with Jongdae._

* * *

Minseok awoke in the middle of his dream. The room was still in darkness though he had no idea what time it was. A few candles flickered to give the apartment a faint light. He sat up in his bed and saw that he was covered in one of the thick blankets that Yixing had brought. Jongdae’s cloak was draped on top of it and only then did Minseok notice the vampire sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed, fast asleep with his head resting on his chest. Minseok looked at him fondly for a moment and he moved to peer through the curtain and out the window. The sector of the city was still in darkness but it seemed very quiet outside and there were no longer any fires to be seen. He looked over at Junmyeon and saw that he was fast asleep and also covered in Yixing’s blankets.

Minseok reached over to tap Jongdae’s shoulder.  
“Master?” he said quietly. The vampire did not stir. Minseok supposed that he was exhausted from the lack of blood so he did not pester him, but he thought he looked incredibly uncomfortable on the floor. He got up with all his blankets and the cloak and sat down on the floor close beside him and draped the layers over the both of them. Though Jongdae was slightly cold he offered Minseok a bit of extra warmth, and Minseok knew he gave him even more warmth as he snuggled up beside him. He rested his head on Jongdae’s shoulder, suddenly feeling a strong surge of affection for him, and he wanted nothing more than to keep him close. He was so fearful and uncertain about the future that all he wanted was to just be close beside Jongdae because he loved him so much and the knowledge that he loved him in return gave him comfort.

“Minseok?”

His voice was a rough whisper as he stirred and Minseok straightened up.  
“You’re cold,” he said softly. “Go back to sleep.”  
“I feel too hungry to sleep,” he murmured with a deep sigh. “Don’t let me disturb you. It must be uncomfortable for you here on the floor.”  
He sounded utterly exhausted and it pained Minseok. He knew that when vampires were starved of blood they were incredibly weak and tired. It was far worse than the normal starvation experienced by a human.  
“Would you not drink some of my blood?” Minseok asked. Jongdae seemed to tense slightly.  
“Right here and now? You know that’s not the way we were raised, Minseok,” he replied.  
“I know, but now isn’t really the time for traditions,” Minseok said as he rolled up his sleeve. “I’ll have peace of mind even if you just take a small bite. You need to regain some strength.” 

Minseok presented his wrist to Jongdae and he saw his eyes glowing in the darkness as he stared.  
“Are you sure about this?” he asked in a voice barely above a whisper.  
“Of course, Jongdae. Please drink. I _want_ you to drink.”

There was a moment of pure silence only punctuated by Minseok’s calm breathing. Jongdae slowly moved to grasp his forearm with both hands but his grip was exceedingly gentle and he brushed his thumbs along Minseok’s skin as though he was caressing his face.

“Just a small bite,” the vampire murmured. “Thank you, Minseok.”

He brought his arm up to his mouth and he pressed a small kiss to his wrist and Minseok felt a fluttering sensation in his stomach. He felt Jongdae’s lips parting against his skin and he felt the heat of his mouth before his sharp teeth pierced the flesh. Minseok thought he would have been able to anticipate the pain but it made him bite his lip. It stung slightly but it did not worsen as Jongdae started to suck his blood. Minseok suddenly felt something in his chest that he could not explain. It was like the rush of affection he usually felt for Jongdae, but now it was impossibly strong and almost like a white hot flame threatening to burst through his sternum. He felt breathless for a moment as the feeling of something like a burning passion burnt through his being while Jongdae drank from him. He took a few desperate gulps, breathing heavily against Minseok’s skin, before he pulled away with a small gasp, his mouth blood-stained. He hastily wiped it with the back of his hand.

“Thank you, Minseok,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “My dear Minseok, I love you so much.”

The affection in Minseok’s chest was like a raging fire and as he stared into Jongdae’s burning red eyes he knew that he was feeling the same thing. There was something like a fiery cord between them pulling their hearts and souls closer together and Minseok thought that his heart would burst from it. He leaned forward and reached up his hand to cup his cheek. The feeling of Jongdae’s soft warm skin beneath his fingertips only intensified the sentiment burning through his being and he tilted his head up to press a kiss to his cheek.

“I love you, Jongdae,” he whispered against his flushed skin.  
Jongdae put his arms around him and pulled him against his chest, burying his face in his shoulder and holding Minseok impossibly close, nearly suffocating him until he pulled away to hold up Minseok’s bleeding wrist for inspection. The wound was just two small punctures but he held it to his mouth to lick up the excess blood and then wrapped it in a handkerchief. Minseok smiled at him, widely and earnestly, and he brushed his fingertips along his warm red lips.

“Does this mean that we can be together? I felt something that I can’t explain, but now that I’ve felt it I think I wouldn’t be able to bear being apart from you,” Minseok said softly. Jongdae kissed his hand and held it tightly in his own.  
“I felt it too. That burning sensation in my heart…I’ve never felt anything like it,” he said.  
“Then we should be together. I can only give myself and my blood to you, Jongdae,” Minseok said and he felt affection in his heart as Jongdae gazed at him and nodded.  
“I spoke to Yixing about it too…I don’t know how we’ll manage, but as long as I love you I never want to be parted from you, Minseok,” the vampire said. “Never.”

Minseok kissed his cheek and smiled at him. He felt like his heart was close to bursting and all he could do was grin.  
“Do you feel better?” he asked.  
“A bit,” Jongdae said. “Are you alright? It wasn’t too much?”  
Minseok smiled wider and shook his head.  
“Let me clean up,” Jongdae said as he got to his feet and ambled off to the bathroom to wash his mouth.

Minseok shivered from the lack of warmth and quickly moved back onto the bed. When Jongdae returned he immediately joined Minseok in a flurry of blankets and peppered his face with kisses, abandoning all inhibitions because now their hearts and very souls were closer and they both knew it. Minseok knew that the powerful and intimate gesture of giving Jongdae his blood had brought them together in an unexplainable way and he smiled as they lay down together. The bed was small and they just managed to fit inside while lying pressed against one another and Minseok relished in it. He loved being so close to Jongdae and in the aftermath of giving him his blood he felt a strange sort of elated light-headedness.

“Sleep, love,” Jongdae whispered. “Sleep well.” He wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close.  
“Only if you sleep too,” Minseok said though his eyes were already starting to close.  
Jongdae smiled at him, his shining eyes curving with his curled lips, and Minseok felt his heart swell as he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

_Minseok lay back on the soft grass and stared up at the white moon above him. The purple flowers around him were as fragrant as ever and he breathed in their scent deeply. For some time he had been aware that he was not alone and now he turned his head and saw Jongdae lying close beside him and he intertwined their fingers. His smile was radiant and his eyes shone brightly as if the light of the moon somehow made them even redder. He looked beautiful and Minseok felt his heart swell with affection._

* * *

Jongdae was gone when Minseok woke up in the morning and he was saddened at his absence, but he had left a note on his bedside table.

_My dearest Minseok_

_I’m sorry for leaving suddenly. Yixing summoned me to an emergency Council meeting and I couldn’t bear to wake you. I hope you rest well._

_Stay safe._

_I love you._

_Jongdae._

Minseok read over his neatly printed characters again and again until the paper became soft and dog-eared.

“Oh, you’re awake,” Junmyeon said as he emerged from the bathroom. Minseok did not even notice his absence as he had been too preoccupied with the note. He jumped out the bed and hurried over to inspect his friend and he held him by the shoulders. There was colour in his face and his warm brown eyes were bright though he still looked a bit tired.  
“How are you feeling? Did you take your medicine?”  
“Yes, yes, calm down, Minseok,” Junmyeon said with a laugh. Seeing the warmth in his round cheeks brought a surge of affection to Minseok’s heart and he pulled his friend into a tight hug.  
“God, I was so worried about you,” he said. “Yixing came over, do you remember?”

Junmyeon looked away with a bashful expression and if Minseok was not mistaken his cheeks turned pink.  
“I do. I’m so sorry I never told you, Minseok,” he said and he met his eyes. “I was so afraid it would somehow get out. I really did want to tell you.”  
“It’s alright, Junmyeon,” Minseok said with a smile. “I’m happy for you, though I’m quite surprised.”  
“I’ll tell you everything, but we should eat first. I’m starving,” Junmyeon said as he moved to the kitchen. Yixing had brought a big box full of food and Minseok was glad to eat something hearty.

“When did the electricity come back?” Minseok asked as he cooked a large stew.  
“This morning. I’m assuming the lockdown is over now,” Junmyeon said as he stared out the window. “I haven’t been outside though.”  
“What are we going to do? I doubt we can return to the factory if half of it has been blown up,” Minseok muttered.  
“We can go and look later, but now I’ll tell you about Yixing,” Junmyeon said as he sat down.

While they ate Junmyeon explained that Yixing was his first client at the bar.

“He was so polite. You know I’m not scared of vampires, but I was really nervous working there in the beginning, but Yixing was so kind and sincere. I’ve never met anyone like him.”  
As Junmyeon spoke he stared into his bowl of food with a look that was nothing short of pure adoration. Minseok grinned at him.  
“You really love him, don’t you?” he asked. Junmyeon nodded and to Minseok his eyes seemed to be shining.  
“I do. I love him a lot, Minseok.”  
“Well, no wonder his scent was all over you,” Minseok said with a sly grin. Junmyeon blushed.  
“Never mind that,” he spluttered. “What’s happening between you and Jongdae? If I’m not mistaken there really is something between you two.”

Minseok’s smile slid off his face and he unconsciously moved to touch his wrist, still bandaged with the handkerchief. He explained everything that had transpired up until the previous evening. Junmyeon listened intently with wide eyes as he spoke. Now that Minseok verbalised everything he realised that he really should have communicated better with Jongdae. But he was relieved anyway that they’d both managed to confess properly. When Minseok rolled up his sleeve to show his wrist Junmyeon seemed shocked.

“He drank from you? Are you alright?” he asked with some concern.  
“It was just a small bite,” Minseok said. “But, Junmyeon, I’ve never experienced it before and it was indescribable. I’ve never felt so much love for him until that moment when he drank from me. I can’t put it into words. Is it the same with you and Yixing?”  
“Er, sort of,” Junmyeon said with a shrug. “It’s certainly an intimate thing, but I don’t feel anything special. I think you just have a special connection to vampires because of your heritage.”  
“Oh, probably,” Minseok said. It made him feel slightly giddy to think that he had a special bond with Jongdae, but it also made him even sadder that they could not be together properly.

“I should go ask the neighbours about what’s happening outside,” Junmyeon said as he got up. “Eat some more. We shouldn’t let this food go to waste.”

Minseok sat in deep thought, thinking about Jongdae and Yixing and the fact that Junmyeon was in a relationship with the vampire. Now that he thought back, Junmyeon had been slightly secretive regarding his interactions with vampires at the bar. Minseok understood why he had kept it secret so he held nothing against him. He suddenly remembered the first time he had encountered Yixing at the bar and realised that he had been with Junmyeon that evening. It warmed Minseok’s heart to know that his friend was with someone like Yixing.

“Minseok!”

Junmyeon suddenly burst into the apartment and startled Minseok out of his reverie.  
“Hurry and close the curtains!” he whispered frantically as he locked the door. Minseok jumped up from the table and pulled the curtains shut and enveloped the room in darkness. “I went to go figure out what’s going on and some people from the anti-vampire groups are going around looking for those of us who work at the factory!”  
“What? Why?” he asked, also keeping his voice to a whisper.  
“I haven’t any idea, but we just need to stay in here and keep quiet.”

They both sat on the far side of the room, out of sight should anyone try to peer through the keyhole, and Minseok felt his heart stop when there was a sudden pounding on the door.  
“Open up!” a voice grunted on the other side. Minseok clasped Junmyeon’s hand and held it tightly. The door was locked and he doubted that they would break inside, but his heart pounded against his sternum out of sheer fear.

He could hear several voices outside all muttering incoherently and the knocks continued. Minseok held his breath as it persisted and he knew that Junmyeon was doing the same as he held his hand tightly. At one point it sounded as though someone kicked the door, but then Minseok heard them mutter amongst themselves and the din faded away. He remained silent with Junmyeon for a moment before he quietly got to his feet and crept over to the door to peer through the keyhole. The corridor was empty and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“They’re gone,” he muttered. “What on earth was that about?”  
“I don’t want to know,” Junmyeon said with a shudder. “But what are we supposed to do? I doubt we can go back to work, and to be honest I don’t want to.”  
“We can’t stay holed up in here,” Minseok said. “I think I’ll go visit Jongdae and ask about the situation. He’ll know.”  
“I don’t want you to go alone,” Junmyeon said with a worried frown.  
“I’ll go at night,” Minseok said with a shrug. “Despite everything, humans are still afraid to go out at night, you know.”  
Junmyeon frowned at him.  
“What about the vampires? I doubt they’re going to be friendly,” Junmyeon said. “I’ll go with you. I don’t want to stay here alone anyway.”

It was frustrating just hiding inside all day, though Junmyeon was able to get some news from the neighbours. The sector was no longer under lockdown, but a state of emergency had finally been declared in the country. There were rumours of the military being deployed to patrol the human sectors of the city. There was apparently an investigation underway but Minseok knew that it would amount to nothing. It now seemed more certain than ever that war was very likely.

That evening he and Junmyeon waited until it was fully dark to quietly leave the apartment. The streets were eerily empty and they kept close to the shadows as they moved out of the sector and into the city centre. Minseok was surprised to see that it was also quiet as there were only a few vampires to be seen. But they were all very aware of Junmyeon and Minseok and several pairs of red eyes followed them as they hurried through the streets. Junmyeon clung onto Minseok’s arm, evidently frightened, and Minseok could not blame him. It felt like they were being watched by a pack of wolves.

“These humans are growing too bold,” a vampire spat as they passed her.  
“There are more of them here every night, always skulking about,” another one muttered.

Minseok was only aware of himself and Junmyeon in the vicinity but he was surprised that there had been other humans in the area. They were passing the cemetery, almost near the manor, when two vampires appeared out of nowhere from a side-street and blocked the pavement. They were policemen, as indicated by their dark uniforms, but their eyes glared with the same menace shared by all the other vampires on the streets.

“What brings you two here? You’re not welcome here,” one of them spat. Minseok was struck with a sense of fear from their malicious gazes, similar to that of Prince Yuchan, and he unintentionally shrunk behind Junmyeon.

“We – we’re going to work,” Junmyeon stammered.  
“What? Where? Don’t lie,” the other vampire barked. “You both smell strange. Are you soliciting blood?”  
“N – no! We work for Prince Jongdae,” Minseok said and he battled to keep his voice steady.

The vampires exchanged glances for a moment but before they could say anything a figure appeared from the darkness, sprinting and carrying a gas lamp.  
“Excuse me! It’s about time you two got here!”

Minseok was shocked to see Baekhyun hurtling towards them out of the darkness. He frowned at Junmyeon and Minseok and shook his head before he turned to bow to the vampires.

“Forgive them, sirs, they are Prince Jongdae’s servants,” he said.  
“Oh…well, get going,” one of them muttered. “There’ve been enough strange humans around here.”  
“Yes, sorry once again,” Baekhyun said. He elbowed Minseok in the ribs and he hastened to bow along with Junmyeon. The two vampires moved along and Baekhyun gestured for Minseok and Junmyeon to follow him back up the road.

“God, that was a close one,” he muttered, his face now white as the vestiges of his courage faded. “Jongdae sent me to come fetch you, but I saw you already in the street about ten minutes ago, and I noticed that someone was following you, so I followed them. They ran away when you ran into the cops, though, so I don’t know who they were.”  
“Someone followed us here?” Minseok said in shock. “Vampire or human?”  
“I couldn’t see, but most likely a human seeing as he wasn’t very good at hiding,” Baekhyun replied. “Anyways, are you Junmyeon? I’m Baekhyun.”  
“Oh, nice to meet you,” Junmyeon said as he received Baekhyun’s friendly handshake. “Minseok, are you alright?”

Minseok did not realise that he was breathing hard and that his hands were trembling as he held onto Junmyeon’s arm.  
“I’m fine. That was just a bit intense,” he said.  
“Some vampires have that effect on him,” Baekhyun said to Junmyeon. “But don’t worry, we’re here.”

They came up the small incline and up to the iron gates. Baekhyun led them through the gates and into the house and Minseok felt relieved once he was inside the kitchen. Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, and Sehun greeted him enthusiastically and Baekhyun introduced Junmyeon to them.

“It’s been ages since we saw you, Minseok!” Chanyeol said. “How is everything your side? Jongdae asked all of us to move in here because he doesn’t think it’s safe anymore for us to live close to other vampires. They’re not very happy.”  
“Well, we had these people knocking on our door today,” he said with a sigh. “So I suppose it isn’t safe for humans anywhere. We came here because we don’t know what else to do.”  
“You aren’t moving in yet?” Sehun asked with a frown.  
“Well, er, we still have to earn a living,” Junmyeon said awkwardly. “I suppose tomorrow we should go back to the factory to see what happens.”

They had already eaten but Kyungsoo insisted on giving them supper. Minseok was glad to see them and to be back in the manor but he was slightly impatient to see Jongdae.  
“The Chinese Ambassador is here with some others, and they’re in a meeting,” Baekhyun said to Minseok as if he could sense his impatience.

Minseok did not have to wait long to hear the sound of people moving down the stairs and the sound of feet approaching the kitchen. Jongdae entered and as soon as Minseok met his eyes he felt a rush of affection and contentment. All the previous stress from meeting the policemen disappeared and he automatically rose to his feet. Then he remembered the six other people in the room and he stopped himself from hurrying over to Jongdae. The vampire smiled at him brightly.

“Thank you for fetching them, Baekhyun,” he said and Baekhyun grinned proudly. “Yixing had to leave with the others, Junmyeon, but he said he’s going to come back later when it’s quiet,” Jongdae said to Junmyeon. He seemed a bit taken aback but he nodded.  
“In the meantime you can do whatever you want. Have you both eaten?”  
“Yes, thank you, I’ll just stay in here with everyone,” Junmyeon said with a smile.  
“Now you two go be alone somewhere,” Baekhyun said loudly. “Minseok was _dying_ to see you, master.”

The others snickered, Chanyeol laughed loudly, and Minseok blushed furiously. Jongdae glared at Baekhyun, threatened his life, and grabbed Minseok’s hand to pull him out the kitchen, leaving the others inside to make a racket.

Once they were out the passage and in the foyer Jongdae pulled Minseok into a tight hug.   
“I’m embarrassed,” Jongdae said, his voice muffled against Minseok’s shoulder and he laughed. “Are you well? I was so worried about you.”  
“I’m fine, master,” Minseok said as he pulled away and smiled at him. Jongdae pulled a face.  
“Don’t call me master,” he said. “Not anymore.”  
“I still work here, don’t I?” Minseok said with a laugh. “I’m sure the place has gotten dirtier in my absence.”  
“Well, you’re not working tonight. I’ll pay you regardless,” Jongdae said firmly. Now that he frowned Minseok saw that his face was still rather drawn and tired.  
“How are you? You look tired,” he said and he reached up to cup his face and it felt rather cold. “How are the other vampires getting blood?” 

Jongdae looked away from him and furrowed his brows.  
“They go to blood bars, and they invited me to go with them now after the meeting, but I can’t do it, Minseok,” he said. “I can’t do it after I drank from you.” He leaned down and pressed their foreheads together and Minseok smiled. He felt the desire to be close to him, so close that he would not be able to separate himself.  
“Would you like to drink some more of my blood?” he said softly. “I want you to be healthy again.”  
Jongdae’s eyes were bright as he stared at Minseok.  
“Are you sure?” he asked and his warm breath tickled Minseok’s face.  
“I’ve eaten a lot already, so I’ll be alright,” Minseok said. “You should drink more than last night.”

Jongdae looked at him for a moment, his eyes shining brightly, and he tilted his head down to kiss him softly. Minseok pulled himself closer and drew his arms around his neck and kissed him back with more intensity as he felt the pull between their hearts. He pulled away only to catch his breath and Jongdae smiled at him.

“Come. We should do it properly this time,” he said and he took his hand and led him up the stairs to his bedroom.

Minseok was surprised to see that there was already a bright fire in the fireplace, and he knew that Jongdae had prepared it just for him. He lit a few candles to give the room a cosy warm glow and then went about making the preparations, darting in and out of the room, and Minseok watched him with a smile.

“The bed is more comfortable,” Jongdae said, leading Minseok by the hand.  
“You’re spoiling me,” Minseok said with a laugh as they both sat down in the middle of the bed. Jongdae drew the hangings closed around them and it felt as though they were together, just the two of them, in their own intimate world.

“I haven’t drunk from anyone but you in a very long time,” Jongdae said softly as he held Minseok’s hands. “Not since the last war.”  
There was sadness in his voice and Minseok thought that he was most likely remembering the human clan who had served his household. He squeezed his hands.  
“Don’t be sad, Jongdae,” he said softly. “You have me. I’ll be with you always.” Jongdae brought his hands up and kissed them.  
“You’re so dear to me,” he murmured. He inhaled deeply and reached over to unbutton Minseok’s shirt collar and gently pulled open his shirt down to his shoulders to prevent it from getting stained. In the warmth of the room Minseok did not shiver, though he felt slightly shy under Jongdae’s burning gaze. He stroked his bare shoulder for a moment and Minseok noticed his hesitance.

“Come, Jongdae. Drink,” Minseok said. He took Jongdae’s hands and pulled him closer, leaning back against the pillows so that Jongdae hovered over him with his hands on either side of his head. The vampire leaned down to kiss him.  
“Thank you, Minseok, my love,” he said with a look of utmost love and affection and Minseok felt his heart swell. Jongdae peppered his face with soft kisses, working his fingers through his hair and his other hand came to rest on his shoulder and Minseok relished in his touch. The feeling of his lips brushing against his skin and his fingertips gently raking against his scalp made his heart flutter.

Jongdae adjusted his position to be on top of him without pressing him down with his full weight and moved his lips along his jaw and to the side of his neck. Minseok stretched his head to the side to better expose his throat and he felt Jongdae’s grip on his shoulder and in his hair tighten ever so slightly.  
“I love you, Minseok,” he murmured against his skin, planting a lingering kiss on his neck. Jongdae parted his lips against Minseok’s throat and he felt his warm breath for a moment before his teeth pierced his skin.

The pain was far sharper than what it had been on his wrist and it took Minseok by surprise and he gasped and grabbed fistfuls of Jongdae’s shirt to distract himself from the stinging pain. Jongdae breathed a heavy sigh of satisfaction against his throat as he drank Minseok’s blood. Jongdae moved the hand from Minseok’s shoulder to his back to lift him up and press him against his chest and then Minseok felt the familiar burning flame in his heart, overwhelming his emotions with nothing but utmost love for Jongdae.

Minseok heard Jongdae's desperate gulps as he drank, and knowing that with each gulp he regained his strength made him smile. The pain spiked every now and then but it was not unbearable and the burning love he felt overcame it. Through his light-headedness Minseok felt himself growing weak and drowsy and his grip on Jongdae’s shirt slackened until his hands fell limp by his sides.

Jongdae stopped drinking and ran his tongue over the bite to lap up the remaining blood and he pulled away. Minseok blinked up at him through heavy lids and saw his stained lips and chin. He breathed heavily and his cheeks were flushed with a ruddy glow. He finally looked healthy again and Minseok smiled widely at him. Jongdae produced a white handkerchief and held it to Minseok’s neck.

“Are you alright?” he asked, slightly breathless.   
“I am, Jongdae,” Minseok said. “Are you sated?” The vampire nodded and wiped his mouth and chin with the clean side of the handkerchief. He got to work at dressing the wound on Minseok’s neck and once he’d tied the bandage he got up from the bed. Minseok felt too weak to sit up when Jongdae returned with a crystal glass. He gently pulled Minseok up and held the glass to his mouth and he tasted sweet fruit juice.

“Drink all of it,” he said softly.  
“Thank you, Jongdae,” Minseok said. Once he drank all the juice he felt slightly better, though still a bit light-headed. He knew the feeling was also due to the sensation of Jongdae drinking from him.

“Oh, I got blood on your shirt,” Jongdae said remorsefully. Minseok shrugged it off and discarded it.  
“Rather on this old shirt than on your pillows,” he said and he yawned.  
“Do you want to sleep?” Jongdae asked.  
“It’s too early,” Minseok said as he sat up. The sudden movement made his head spin and he faltered for a moment in trying to stand up but Jongdae held him steady.  
“Be careful,” he said. “I’m going to clean up.”

He went to go rinse his mouth in the en suite bathroom and Minseok noticed something from the corner of his eye. He wandered over to the desk and saw a messy collection of sheet music. Jongdae had obviously been composing something as the pages were filled with his inky scribbles.

“Don’t look!” Jongdae exclaimed, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. But Minseok pulled the music out of his reach before he could snatch it and he held it behind his back.  
“I didn’t,” Minseok said with a laugh. “But why the secrecy?”  
“It’s not done yet,” Jongdae said, trying to reach behind Minseok to grab it but Minseok kept darting away.  
“Do you promise not to give up on it?” Minseok asked sternly.  
“Well, I can’t make any promises” Jongdae said and he rolled his eyes. “I’ve been working on that for a while, you know. I’m trying to recreate this song I wrote ages ago, but I threw the music away.”

Minseok suddenly remembered back to the time he had first discovered Jongdae’s sheet music.

“You didn’t throw it away,” he said. “You told me to, but I hid it in a book in the music room!”  
Jongdae gaped at him for a moment of disbelief, then he suddenly pulled Minseok into a bone-crushing hug and he laughed, loudly and brightly, and the sound made Minseok grin.  
“Minseok, what would I do without you?” he exclaimed. “God, I really don’t deserve you.”

He kissed his face in clumsy abandon and his hands tickled Minseok’s bare sides. He giggled and tried to squirm out of his grasp and abandoned the sheet music behind him. He grabbed Jongdae’s hands and held them at arm’s length and even though the vampire could easily overpower him he pretended that Minseok had the upper hand and pouted at him.   
“Are you going to play it for me when you’re done?” Minseok said.  
“Maybe…but I don’t just play for anyone,” Jongdae said.  
“Oh? Am I just anyone?” Minseok replied in feigned indignation.

Jongdae snatched his hands out of Minseok’s grasp and wrapped his arms around his waist.  
“You’re not just anyone, Minseok,” he said softly and he kissed his cheek. Then his lips curled into a smirk. “But maybe you still need to convince me to play for you with a kiss.”

Minseok smiled at him and tugged on his shirt collar to pull him close. He pressed his lips to the corner of his mouth.  
“That’s four bars,” Jongdae murmured, his breath tickling Minseok’s face. He kissed him again on the other corner. “Another four bars.” Minseok grinned at him.  
“How many pages was that composition?” he asked.  
“Five and counting,” Jongdae said, smirking proudly.  
“Oh, then maybe I don’t want to hear the whole song,” Minseok said teasingly, but Jongdae suddenly leaned forward and kissed him tenderly. He pulled away, leaving Minseok blushing. Jongdae brushed his hair out of his eyes and smiled.  
“That’s me asking you to accompany me,” he murmured. “Once I write the violin part, of course.”  
“You’re a cheater,” Minseok said in feigned indignation.

Jongdae was about to say something when a knocking on the door interrupted him. He whined and pulled himself away from Minseok. He hastened to pull Jongdae’s abandoned dressing gown over himself just as he opened the door.

“Master, Yixing is here,” Baekhyun said.  
“Oh, right, I’ll go down to him,” Jongdae said and he darted out the room. Baekhyun popped his head inside and spotted Minseok, who had been trying to hide between the desk and the wall. Baekhyun had a very mischievous smirk on his face.

“Sorry if I interrupted something important,” he said, not looking sorry in the slightest.  
“You didn’t,” Minseok said stiffly. Baekhyun looked him up and down and Minseok hastily covered his exposed chest.  
“If you say so,” he said in an annoying sing-song voice.

Minseok tried to keep a straight face and promptly marched out the room because he could not just sit still waiting for Jongdae. Baekhyun accompanied him all the way down the passage, making teasing remarks all the while, until he disappeared down the stairs to return to his duties and Minseok ventured into the music room. He found the old sheet music exactly where he had left it and he sat down on the sofa to try and decipher it. The parts that had not been scratched out were legible to Minseok and he hummed the melodies to himself as he read over the notes. It was not long until he grew cold in the room and he longed to return to the warmth of Jongdae’s room.

He returned to the room and discarded the dressing gown for his blood-stained shirt. He neatened up the sheet music on the desk and placed it with the old music he’d kept hidden and smiled to himself before leaving the room. The kitchen was bustling with activity when he entered and while he was nearly bowled over by the sheer volume, he was glad to see that everyone had taken to Junmyeon. They were all pouring over Sehun’s homework from tutoring and teasing him about everything he’d gotten wrong while Junmyeon reassured him kindly.

“Minseok, where have you been?” Junmyeon asked when he saw him. His eyes immediately found the bandage around his neck and the blood stain on his shirt and he furrowed his brows. “Did Jongdae drink from you?”  
There was a moment of silence as five pairs of eyes stared at him.  
“Well, yes, he was starving, and it was the least I could do,” he said, and before he could finish his sentence Baekhyun started cooing and it only took a second for Chanyeol to join him.  
“Ooh! Minseok loves Jongdae!” they chanted loudly and Sehun pointed at Minseok’s face and laughed loudly.

Minseok was so taken aback by their reactions, purely because in all his life in the city he had never come across humans who were not disgusted by the idea of a human offering their blood to a vampire. Chanyeol and Baekhyun attacked him with tickles, hollering all the while, and Kyungsoo and Sehun collapsed in fits of laughter, while Junmyeon gave Minseok a knowing smile. In that moment he realised that he truly had found his place in the world within the stone walls of the manor. He’d always had Junmyeon as his best friend, but now there was a space in which both of them could exist without being ostracised. He felt an overwhelming sense of emotion though he managed to swallow it down because it would dampen the mood if he started crying.

“Get off me,” he gasped as he pulled himself away from Baekhyun and Chanyeol. “Where’s Yixing?”  
“Talking with Jongdae about some Council stuff,” Junmyeon said with a sigh. “He did some investigating and apparently all workers were expected to return to the factory today.”  
The others quietened down at the noticeable looks of worry on Minseok and Junmyeon’s faces.  
“That explains why they came knocking on our door this afternoon,” Minseok muttered. “I suppose we’ll have to go back tomorrow. Did Yixing say anything else about it?”  
“He said that our boss has been taken in for questioning, along with the group of people who started the entire thing,” Junmyeon said and Minseok sighed in relief.  
“As long as they’re not there,” he said.

It was silent for a moment as Minseok and Junmyeon just worried about their circumstances. Minseok perked up at the sound of Jongdae’s voice and the vampire entered the kitchen with Yixing and he noticed the stark differences in their conditions when they were together. While Jongdae’s skin was warm and golden and his cheeks were full, Yixing was ghostly pale and gaunt. His eyes were far redder than Jongdae’s and it was a bit alarming to meet his gaze until he smiled and revealed his dimples and greeted Minseok.

“Junmyeon, can I speak with you?” he asked, and when he turned his gaze on Junmyeon his expression softened drastically. Junmyeon quickly got up and left the room with him.  
“I never thought I’d see one vampire-human couple in my lifetime, let alone two,” Baekhyun said with a smirk at Jongdae. He rolled his eyes at him but he could not hide his blush. The others started talking loudly again and Jongdae moved into Junmyeon’s empty seat beside Minseok and he discreetly took his hand in his beneath the table.

“Would you like to stay here tonight?” he asked quietly.  
“I would, but Junmyeon and I have to return to work tomorrow,” he replied. Jongdae frowned and tightened his grip on his hand.  
“You know that I can provide for you here,” he said. Minseok smiled at him.  
“I know, but I can’t just take hand-outs, Jongdae,” he said gently. “And I can’t leave Junmyeon behind.”  
“I was talking about both of you,” he countered. “He can be the third footman.”  
Minseok shook his head.  
“He has a lot of pride,” he said. “We’ll be fine, Jongdae. We need to do what we can at the moment.”

Jongdae slouched in his seat and stared at their intertwined hands.  
“Fine. Hopefully if this all dies down you can come here. Yixing is considering buying property here if war doesn’t break out. Then Junmyeon can live with him.”  
“Is there going to be another war?” Minseok asked in a small voice.  
“I don’t know, Minseok. I really don’t know,” he said with a sigh.

He said nothing more and they sat in silence until Junmyeon and Yixing returned. To Minseok’s surprise they both looked rather miserable and Junmyeon’s eyes were rather red.  
“Thank you, Jongdae. I’ll be leaving now,” he said. Jongdae got to his feet to show him out and Junmyeon slumped into the chair.  
“Are you okay? What happened?” Minseok asked. The others stopped their conversation to observe them and Minseok wished they had the tact to eavesdrop politely.  
“We won’t see each other for a while,” Junmyeon muttered. “It’s better this way, I suppose, given his job and all.”  
“I’m sorry, Junmyeon,” Minseok said kindly and he squeezed his shoulder.

It was not long until Jongdae returned and offered to drive them home but Minseok declined because it would be very obvious if an expensive car driven by a vampire dropped them off late at night. They were silent as the vampire led them out to the gate. It was bitterly cold and Minseok was sad to be leaving the comfort and security of the manor.

“Stay safe, both of you,” Jongdae said as they walked through the gate. “I’m frequently seeing Yixing, so I’ll make sure to relay any news about him to you, Junmyeon.”  
Junmyeon seemed taken aback by Jongdae’s words but he smiled and nodded.  
“Thank you, Jongdae,” he said. He turned his smile to Minseok. “Say goodbye to him. I’ll look away.”  
“Honestly, Junmyeon,” Minseok huffed, blushing furiously. Just as Junmyeon turned around Jongdae grabbed his arms and pulled him in for a kiss.  
“I’ll see you tomorrow evening?” he murmured. Minseok’s smile reflected in his glowing eyes.  
“Yes, Jongdae. Goodnight, I love you.”  
“I love you,” Jongdae said and he kissed Minseok again. Minseok reluctantly pulled himself away to join Junmyeon as Jongdae shut the gate. Minseok maintained eye-contact with him over his shoulder as they walked down to the road and he gave a small wave before they turned the corner and Jongdae and the house disappeared from sight.

“I remember once thinking that it would be impossible for a vampire and a human to do so much as hold hands,” Junmyeon said, “and yet look at the both of us.”  
Minseok smiled at him and draped an arm around his shoulder.  
“Now that I think about it, it makes sense that you would be with a vampire,” Junmyeon continued. “You don’t seem to suit anyone else.”  
“I’ve never thought about it before,” Minseok admitted. “But I’m happy for both of us, Junmyeon.”

Everything seemed so uncertain and frightening and he and his best friend still managed to find something as rare as love in the most unlikely of circumstances. Although their relationships were both incredibly precarious Minseok could not help but smile as he and Junmyeon walked home beneath the light of the moon.


	8. Chapter 8

The atmosphere was incredibly tense when Minseok and Junmyeon made their way to work the following morning. The weather reflected the mood as it was bitterly cold and the skies were grey. A considerable amount of workers were absent from the group as they all lined up outside and Minseok supposed that they were the ones who had caused the entire incident. From his position outside Minseok could see the blackened wreck of the portion that had been affected by the explosion and he was shocked that they still had to come in to work. There was also a noticeable amount of cops, most of whom were vampires.

Once inside and at their workstations Minseok noticed that a few workers still glared at him and their looks were more malicious than ever. He did not particularly care as they no longer had the strength of numbers to threaten him, so he put his head down and got to work.

Close to the end of the shift Minseok noticed that a supervisor had entered the room and was accompanied by two vampires as well as armed escorts. Even though they were on the opposite side of the vast area Minseok recognised the one vampire as Prince Yuchan and he felt his heart stop. The vampire had not looked in his direction, but the memory of the awful sensation was enough to make Minseok’s hands tremble.

Junmyeon noticed that he had stopped working and that he shrank in his chair.  
“Are you alright?” he asked. “What is it?”  
“That’s Prince Yuchan,” he muttered with a gesture in the direction of the group. He’d told Junmyeon all about him the first time he’d met him and now his friend glanced up with a look of alarm.  
“Do you think he and the other vampire have something to do with the owner?” he asked.

Unfortunately, they did not have to wait long to discover why the vampire was there. Minseok watched the group as they moved through the factory and when they neared the section where he worked he noticed that the prince stopped for a moment and turned his head in his direction. Although Minseok put his head down and avoided his gaze he felt the piercing pressure upon him. This time Jongdae was not there to shield him from it and he felt incredibly vulnerable. He gritted his teeth and tried to steady his frantic breathing as the group suddenly veered in his direction.

Workers bowed their heads to the group as they moved down the aisle until they reached Minseok. He felt like he was about to collapse from his nerves and it took every shred of courage to force himself to his feet to bow. Junmyeon and the other surrounding workers did the same and Minseok stared resolutely at the floor.

“This is Prince Yuchan and Prince Jinwoo,” the supervisor said. “They are here to inspect the factory as they are partial owners and shareholders.”  
“Minseok, what a pleasure to find you here,” Prince Yuchan said. Instead of the tone of malicious amusement that Minseok had heard previously, there was something like revolted animosity in his voice. He forced himself to meet his gaze and he was scowling at him.  
“You know him?” the other prince asked with raised eyebrows.  
“I’ve met him in passing,” Yuchan muttered as though Minseok had emerged from a gutter. “You certainly smell interesting. Even sweeter than last time, I think.”  
Minseok felt several pairs of eyes on him and he only remembered to breathe because Junmyeon was close beside him. The other vampire regarded him with narrowed eyes and Minseok knew that his increase in heart beat was noticeable to both vampires.

Then to Minseok’s surprise Prince Yuchan turned his gaze to Jongin, who was bowing on the opposite side of the aisle. His face was very pale and his hands trembled by his sides.  
“I see you’re here,” he said. “Has he ever missed a day of work?” he said to the supervisor.  
“Him? Not as far as I know,” he said.  
“Hm. Let’s go, all of these scents are annoying me,” Yuchan said. The supervisor led the group away and Minseok sank back into his chair with a deep sigh. He felt slightly nauseous and he was too overwhelmed to think more about how the vampire knew Jongin. He was concerned about the suspicious glares from the vampires because he knew that they could definitely detect Jongdae’s scent on him.

He tried very hard to forget about the incident because he did not want to make Jongdae worry. The vampire would probably be very insistent about him not returning to work at the factory and Minseok could not risk that because he still needed an income in order to support himself and Junmyeon. It was very easy to forget the incident when he was back in the warmth of the manor and when he was enveloped in Jongdae’s arms.

Jongdae pestered him while he worked and Minseok would swot him away with his duster he would whine loudly and complain. Minseok loved every minute of it even though it resulted in him not accomplishing much by the end of the evening but he did not mind at all.

* * *

The only time when Minseok could see Jongdae was during his time spent working. Due to the seemingly never-ending onslaught of Council meetings Jongdae was usually busy. The meetings exhausted him and Minseok relished in being able to provide him some relief and comfort away from politics and public relations. They also made the time for music, and Minseok was so glad to be able to play violin again with Jongdae accompanying him on the piano. Minseok was once again able to forget about the problems of the outside world and find refuge in the manor.

He felt slightly guilty because while he was able to spend time with Jongdae, Junmyeon had not seen Yixing since he’d been at the manor. He said it did not bother him but he was evidently saddened by the vampire’s absence in his life. He frequently sent letters to Jongdae for Minseok to deliver to Junmyeon, as it would be too noticeable if they were sent directly to the apartment.

“I’m happy that they can at least communicate through letters,” Minseok said one evening when he handed Junmyeon’s letter to Jongdae. He pocketed it and motioned for Minseok to join him on the bench in front of the piano.  
“Yixing is looking very miserable lately,” Jongdae said. “But it seems that they’re making progressive negotiations with the government. The embargos seem to be working.”  
“Oh, really? How will the government change anything?” Minseok asked.  
“Policy changes to make things easier for humans,” he said. “I doubt that’ll fix hundreds of years of prejudice.”

He started playing Salut d’amour on the piano, slowly and softly and Minseok smiled, allowing the music to drown out his worries. The crease between Jongdae’s brows eased as he played and his face became a mask of serenity as his fingers moved along the keys.

“You play so well,” Minseok said softly.  
“It’s better with the violin part,” Jongdae said, still playing with stern concentration. Minseok wrapped an arm around his middle and kissed his cheek. He pressed the wrong note and the resounding clang made Minseok giggle.  
“Don’t distract me,” Jongdae whined. Minseok smirked and tickled the back of his neck, causing him to yell out and squirm away and the song ended in a clash of chords.  
“Hmm, it’s not nice, is it?” Minseok said through his laughter. He tried to tickle him again but Jongdae grabbed his hands. They wrestled half-heartedly for a moment on the bench, laughing all the while, until Minseok leaned forward and stole a kiss from Jongdae. He released his grip on his hands to wrap his arms around him and pulled him closer.

“I’m nearly done with the composition,” he murmured against Minseok’s neck and he pressed his lips against the bite marks. Although over a week had passed since he’d bitten him the marks were still there though they were gradually fading. Minseok knew that vampire bites took long to fade but he was able to hide them with high-collared shirts.  
“If it wasn’t for you I probably would have given up on it again,” Jongdae continued.  
Minseok heard the deep earnestness in his voice and he smiled.  
“I’m glad, Jongdae. I want you to continue making music,” he said. Jongdae pulled away to smile at him and Minseok felt a rush of affection at the sight of his curved eyes and his toothy grin.

Minseok wished he could have stayed for the night as he longed to sleep beside Jongdae again, but he had work the following day, and he also did not like leaving Junmyeon alone. Jongdae walked him to the gate as usual and kissed him goodnight and it gave him a surge of warmth in the bitterly cold night air.

His mind was full of thoughts of Jongdae as he walked through the streets. It was very quiet and he was the only person in sight. Light snow started to fall and Minseok stopped walking to readjust his scarf around his neck. Only when he paused did he register the sound of footsteps behind him and he turned around to see a group three men emerge from the shadows and come into the dim light of the streetlamp. Minseok knew that they were not vampires as their eyes did not glow, but he immediately felt a sense of dread pooling in his gut. They stared him down like a pack of wolves.

“Kim Minseok, you’re wanted for questioning,” one of them grunted. He recognised his voice as being one of the workers from the factory.  
“What is this? Who are you?” Minseok asked in a forcibly calm voice. He felt the desire to run but he did not want to make himself appear even more suspicious to them.  
“Our job is to weed out the traitors,” another one said. “You’ve been coming to this _monster’s_ house for God knows how long. What is it you do there?”

Minseok felt a flash of anger by how they referred to Jongdae and he clenched his fists at his sides but he kept his face neutral.  
“I work as a cleaner. It’s not against the law and it’s none of your business,” he said firmly.  
“We’ll see about that. You’re coming with us.”

They started to approach Minseok and he abandoned all qualms and he broke into a run and hurtled down the street. He did not want to go anywhere with them under any circumstances because he could only imagine what would happen. They shouted and cursed after him but the slight decline gave him an advantage. He veered into a side street to turn onto another road and made in the direction of the manor. But when he glanced over his shoulder he was alarmed to see that they were gaining on him and in a moment of panic he turned towards the cemetery. He had a better chance of hiding and trying to lose them than hoping to reach the manor before them because it was difficult to run in the steadily falling snow.

He ran through the open gates and into the mass of gravestones. He darted in and out of the rows, trying to use the taller stones and shrines to his advantage, and when he glanced behind him he saw that they had split up to search for him.

He was breathing hard and he soon grew tired and slightly light-headed. He slid down behind a large angel statue, hiding in its shadow and he tried to catch his breath. He knew that even though it had been over a week since Jongdae had fed on him, it had been a substantial amount of blood. He did not have the medicine that humans were supposed to take after giving blood in order to replenish it and as a result he was slightly weak. He had not said anything to Jongdae to avoid worrying him.

Minseok kept still and held his breath for a moment as he tried to listen for their footsteps in the snow. He glanced around the side of the stone and saw nothing. If he was able to get out the cemetery then he could make for the manor again before they spotted him. He took a deep breath and got to his feet and kept low as he hurried back through the maze of graves.

“There he is! Get him!” 

The shout made Minseok jump and in his moment of panic he stumbled in the snow. He hurtled forward but he was a second too late and one of the men tackled him. He was far bigger than Minseok and the pressure of his weight on him made his fall painful and he was unable to get away. Minseok kicked him and threw snow in his eyes, and just when he was able to get to his feet he was pulled down again when the man grabbed onto his clothing. The other two arrived and grabbed him by his arms to haul him to his feet.

“If you struggle we won’t hesitate to – what is this?!”

In the struggle Minseok’s scarf was pulled away and his shirt collar was torn open. His neck was exposed and their eyes widened at the sight of the bite marks and Minseok was suddenly gripped by fear. Looks of utter revulsion and rage passed over their faces.

“You bastard! You traitor!”  
“You’ve been giving blood to that monster!”

Before Minseok could try to pull himself away he was hit hard across the face and the pain blinded him. He was pushed down to the ground and the three men attacked him with vicious punches and kicks. When he tried to shield his face they kicked his arms away and pulled him up by the collar to hit his face again and again. They cursed and shouted as they attacked him, hitting and kicking him everywhere they could reach and he tasted blood in his mouth when he bit his lip. Although he was in pain and outnumbered he desperately tried to fight back. He managed to kick one of them in the face, resulting in cursing and shouts and another blow to the face.

Then Minseok felt a piercing blinding pain that made him cry out. They suddenly broke away and Minseok saw a knife embedded in his middle and his breath hitched in his throat. The men were suddenly gripped with panic and their aggressive frenzy dissipated.

“Run quickly!”  
“Just leave him!”

Minseok could not sit up or even try to because the pain made him gasp. They bolted into the darkness and disappeared from the cemetery.

He could not process what was happening. His brain was foggy and slow as he held a hand to the wound. He forced himself to get up but he fell back down onto his knees and only then did he notice how he bled out onto the snow. His fingers were slick with his own blood and all he could do was stare in shock while his breathing grew more laboured.

“M – Minseok…”

He glanced up at the sound of a shaky voice and he saw someone approaching him. To his utmost shock it was Jongin and tears were streaming down his face. He had no time to think how or why the boy was there.

“Jongin, help me,” he gasped. “I – just help me stand.”

The boy hurried over and pulled Minseok to his feet. As he was taller than Minseok he was able to provide some support, but he was barely able to stand without leaning entirely against Jongin and making him stumble.

“There’s a house,” he said with a wince. “A house nearby. Help me get there.”  
“The prince’s house – I know,” Jongin stammered. Minseok was unable to dwell on his words because as he moved he felt himself bleed more and the pain intensified. They tried to shuffle out the cemetery through the snow but Minseok rapidly felt the strength in his legs leaving him. He fell down and the movement caused the knife to be pushed in deeper and he cried out.

“Minseok, we – we – you can’t just – “  
Jongin sounded as though he was hyperventilating. Minseok wasn’t able to speak and all he could do was clench his eyes shut and grit his teeth.  
“I’ll go get him!” Jongin cried and he suddenly sped off, leaving a cloud of snow in his wake.

Minseok was gripped with panic at being left alone to bleed out in the cemetery. He tried to push himself up using a gravestone for support but he hardly had the strength.

He’d left a trail of fresh blood in the snow and it was so much blood that he became terrified because he had never seen so much blood that was not contained in a glass bottle. He was terrified that he was going to die. Everything had happened so quickly but now there was a very real possibility that he would die.

He couldn’t die – no – no he was so young. He was far too young for this. He did not live through a war and poverty and discrimination just to die like this in the snow. He could not leave Junmyeon behind because he needed someone to look after him and make sure he was healthy. Junmyeon always needed to be reminded to eat properly and to take his medicine when he was sick. Junmyeon was the first and only friend he’d ever had in the entire city, and Minseok was _his_ best friend. It was unthinkable to leave him.

He refused to leave Jongdae behind just when he’d gotten the vampire to come out of his room and play piano and compose music. He loved Jongdae so much that he could not bear the thought of leaving him. He could not leave him alone in that great big house to suffer the burdens of his title alone.

He edged forward with a grunt but he felt like he had hardly moved an inch. The pain spiked and he clasped his hands to the bleeding wound with a small cry. He felt so weak now that he doubted he could drag himself any more but he was too terrified to close his eyes because then he would surely die. He rolled onto his back in front of the gravestone.

The clouds moved in the sky and he saw a glimpse of the moon shining above him. He thought of his dreams where he gazed up at the moon with Jongdae and he willed himself not to close his eyes. He had to keep staring at the brightness of the moon and keep breathing.

But everything was too much and he was in so much pain that it hurt to breathe. He felt his legs and arms starting to go limp and his eyelids felt so heavy. His vision blurred and his eyelids started to droop and the moon started to blur.

“Minseok!”

He managed to open his eyes and saw Jongdae hurtling towards him and he collapsed on his knees beside him.

“Minseok! Oh, my God, no, no, no!”

His trembling hands moved Minseok’s away from where the knife was deeply embedded in his abdomen and Minseok saw his look of utmost horror and fear. He saw his eyes glowing brightly as he scanned over his wound and then he uttered a small despondent sound.

“Minseok stay with me! I’m going to help you. You’re going to live!”

He tried to bring Minseok up into his arms but the movement made him yell out and it only made his shallow breaths quicken and become more uneven.  
“Jongdae,” he breathed. “I – I can’t…please…please help me…”  
“I – I don’t know what to do!” the vampire cried and Minseok saw tears swimming in his eyes. “I can’t carry you to a hospital – Minseok don’t die!”

Minseok grabbed a handful of his clothes with the last vestiges of his strength.  
“Jongdae…help me,” he murmured. “Please. I can’t…I don’t want to die…”  
Jongdae stared at him with wide eyes as tears streamed down his cheeks.  
“All I can do is turn you, Minseok,” he said in a thick whisper. “I can turn you into a vampire.”

In his delirious state Minseok registered and understood his words and he felt a feeble surge of affection and courage.  
“I’m begging you,” he rasped. “Please, turn me, Jongdae.” His hand fell away from Jongdae as he felt his consciousness starting to slip away.

Minseok did not have to say more. Without wasting a moment Jongdae bent down and bit his neck. The pain was nothing compared to his bleeding wound and Minseok was too weak to even wince. Jongdae drank rapidly and desperately, holding Minseok tightly against him, and he pulled away with a gasp as Minseok started to drift off and his eyelids drooped closed. He felt something warm and wet pressed to his mouth.  
“Drink, Minseok,” Jongdae said desperately. “Drink my blood! Drink as much as you can!”

It was difficult but Minseok managed to suck at some of the blood flowing from Jongdae’s wrist. The blood burnt his mouth and he felt the burn travelling down his throat and spreading throughout his body as though he drank white fire. He had no strength to wince or pull away in agony as it burnt down his throat. It pulsated through him and his body was overwhelmed and the last thing Minseok knew was Jongdae holding him close before he blacked out and forgot everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes...a cliffhanger... I'm sorry ~  
> Love Shot is amazing I am deceased


	9. Chapter 9

Minseok’s mind was empty and slow.

He thought he was dead until he felt sheer agony ripping through his body. White hot fire burnt through his veins and he knew that he was alive. He could not see anything or sense anything other than pure pain and agony because every nerve and fibre of his being was on fire.

It took him a while to realise that he was screaming and then he slowly regained all his other senses he tasted his own blood in his mouth. His sight was the last to return and he saw that he was in a familiar dim room. But it meant nothing to him because he was just in so much agony that he wished he would die.

Strong hands suddenly held him steady to stop him from writhing around and he saw a face in front of his eyes – a face he knew very well and the sight tugged at his heart and he cried out frantically.

“Minseok it’s okay,” Jongdae said though he sounded anxious. “You need to drink more.”

He bit his wrist and pressed it to Minseok’s mouth but the blood burnt his tongue and the sensation brought back his memories in startling clarity. He was dying in the cemetery – left for dead to bleed out in the snow until Jongdae had found him. He panicked because now he thought he was dying again and that Jongdae was losing against the clutches of death threatening to take him.

Jongdae’s blood was too hot for him to handle and it only worsened the pain in his body and he turned his face away. Everything was too much for him and he wanted it all to end.

“Please, you must drink,” Jongdae said. He forced his wrist against his lips and before Minseok could stop himself he found himself drinking up his blood. Although it scorched his mouth and throat he felt something else in it that appeased a strange, desperate hunger he was not even aware of. He bit down on Jongdae’s wrist and he felt a strange need to bite as hard as he could even though his teeth were blunt and useless. He drank and drank until he felt himself grow slow and drowsy and then everything went black again.

* * *

Minseok’s body felt incredibly weak and fragile though he was no longer in a hell of agonising pain.

“I can’t believe this. What did the boy say?”

Minseok knew the man’s voice due to his slight accent. He sounded anxious.

“I can’t get a word out of him. He’s been crying inconsolably so I left him in the kitchen with the others.”

Jongdae’s voice. It made something stir in Minseok’s heart just to be able to hear him. He wanted to be close to him and to breathe in his scent and to touch his skin.

“Well, I’m glad you told me, but I don’t know how you’re going to sort this out,” Yixing said. “Turning someone is one of the highest crimes…”  
“I had no choice, Yixing,” Jongdae said with a note of desperation.  
“I understand, make no mistake,” Yixing said gently. “But how will you hide this from the Council?”  
“I have no idea, but that’s not the most important thing right now. I need you to go find Junmyeon as he’ll probably be worried sick. Please bring him here.”  
“Of course. I’ll go now. What are you going to do when Minseok wakes up? He’ll need human blood soon.”  
“Mine is sufficient,” Jongdae said and there was a hard edge to his voice. Yixing sighed but said nothing more. Minseok heard footsteps and a door closing.

He was slow in processing their words and was more focused on their voices but he knew he was awake now. He had been attacked and left for dead, and then Jongdae had rescued him. He tried to move but his body was stiff and slow. His throat felt dry but he managed to make a small sound in an attempt to call Jongdae and he was at his side within a second.

“Minseok? Are you awake?” he said softly and his hand smoothed back his hair. He made a sound of affirmation and tried to speak but it hurt his dry throat. Jongdae reached for the glass of water on the bedside table and held it to his lips. Minseok drank but the taste made him pull a face.  
“You need to drink more,” Jongdae said and he held it closer.

Suddenly Minseok remembered that Jongdae had saved him by turning him into a vampire. He remembered drinking his blood and how it burnt his throat and his very being and he remembered the agonising pain that made him want to tear off his own skin. He gasped in realisation and jumped up.

“I’m – a vampire – I – !”  
“You’re still in the process of turning,” Jongdae said gently and he placed the glass back on the table. He pressed Minseok back against the pillows and he was too weak to attempt to move again.  
“Don’t be afraid, Minseok. The process will take about three days but I won’t leave your side. I’ll look after you.”

Minseok searched his eyes, so bright and red, and he saw worry and affection and a hint of sadness.  
“What happened after you bit me? I don’t remember,” he asked and he coughed. Jongdae gave him the water again but he still had no strength to hold the glass himself.  
“I carried you back here but I thought you weren’t going to make it,” he said in a quiet voice. “You hadn’t actually lost that much blood. It’s just…your blood was low because I fed from you recently.”  
There was definite guilt laced in his voice and Minseok did not know how to address it as he was still trying to piece everything together. Jongdae averted his eyes.  
“How did you find me? Did Jongin find you?”  
“The boy? He nearly tore the gates down and when Sehun went to go ask who he was he just started shouting about how you needed my help,” Jongdae explained. “I had no idea who he was but I believed him because I could smell your blood on him. After I brought you back I asked him what happened and he just started crying and hasn’t said anything coherent since.”

Minseok tried to think about how on earth the boy had discovered him.  
“It was three men who attacked me, and I recognised one of them from the factory,” he said slowly. “But I don’t know how Jongin would be connected with them…”  
A sudden, awful thought occurred to him but he tried to push it away. He could not bear to think that the boy had intentionally led the men to him.  
“Hopefully he calms down. It’s nearly dawn and I don’t know what to do with him,” Jongdae said with a sigh. “But are you comfortable? I should go tell the others that you’re awake.”  
“I’m fine, but I feel very weak,” Minseok said. “Is this normal?”  
Jongdae looked slightly pained for a moment and he still avoided his eyes.  
“Yes. Don’t worry, just rest,” he said. He brushed his fingers over Minseok’s hand before he got up and left the room.

It did not take long for Minseok to feel drowsy again and he fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

* * *

Minseok awoke with a gasp because he felt as though he was stuck inside a furnace. He was pouring sweat and his hair was plastered to his face. He tossed back the layers of duvet and blanket and tried to get up but his legs were weak.

“Minseok? What’s wrong?” Jongdae murmured in a voice heavy with exhaustion. Minseok did not even notice him sleeping beside him or that he had effectively smothered him with all the layers he’d discarded.

“It’s too hot!” he gasped. “I can barely breathe!” He stripped off his shirt, which he noticed was in fact Jongdae’s, and tried to fan himself with his hands. Then he noticed the bandage around his middle.  
“Should I open the windows?” Jongdae said as he yawned and got up. “I’m afraid it won’t offer much relief.”

He went over to the windows and when he pulled back the curtain he groaned at the sudden onslaught of sunlight, but Minseok felt like he had been blinded by it. He cried out and clasped his hands over his eyes and shrunk away from the sunlight by crouching on the floor.

“I’m sorry!” Jongdae exclaimed. Minseok heard him fumble with the window. “I forgot – I’m so careless.”  
“It’s alright,” Minseok said though his eyes stung. He felt Jongdae’s arms around him.  
“I’m so sorry, Minseok,” he muttered. He sounded slightly tearful but Minseok was too preoccupied with his uncontrollable body heat to notice. He shrugged away from Jongdae because he really could not breathe and he felt him leave his side.

“It’s fine,” he said, panting slightly. “I’ll just stay here. It’s cooler on the floor.”

He lay back against the wood and peered through his fingers to see Jongdae sitting on the bed and watching him with intense worry. His eyes seemed watery but Minseok was unsure because his own eyes still stung slightly.

“Are you alright, Jongdae?” he asked.  
“I’m just worried about you,” he muttered and he turned his face away when Minseok met his gaze. “Anyway, Junmyeon arrived after you fell asleep and he’s staying here. Jongin still hasn’t said anything.”  
“Oh…alright,” Minseok said. He was not really in the right state of mind to discuss everything, but he was disturbed by the look of utter misery on Jongdae’s face. Although he was incredibly hot and uncomfortable, he longed to be beside him. He realised now that perhaps when he pushed himself away from Jongdae he had hurt his feelings.

“Come here, please, Jongdae,” he said. Jongdae glanced up in surprise and he seemed very hesitant. Minseok held out his hand to motion for him and only then did he move. He sat beside him on the floor but kept a small distance. Minseok took his hand and held it tightly.  
“I love you, Jongdae,” he said softly. Minseok did not really know why Jongdae seemed so miserable, and he felt himself slipping back into another deep sleep while still holding onto Jongdae’s hand. He heard him murmur something like an apology, he was unsure, and he felt Jongdae kiss his cheek.

Minseok fell into a seemingly endless cycle of falling into short, deep sleeps consisting of disturbingly vivid dreams and waking up with a new pain plaguing his body. He dreamt of strange sights and things that he had never seen before – houses in fiery ruins and jagged mountain peaks and flashes of purple and white lightening flashing across a red sky. He saw the faces of vampires he did not know with vicious glares in their red eyes. He found no refuge when he awoke because the scorching pain burning through his nerves returned with a vengeance and it was accompanied by an awfully sharp ache in his teeth. His own agony would wake him in a delirious state in which he knew neither where nor who he was, still seeing the vivid images from his dreams before his eyes.

If it were not for Jongdae being a constant presence by his side whenever he woke up then he was sure he would have died. He held a damp cloth to his forehead and spoke soft words of encouragement and reassurance. Another strange sensation was that of a steady beating pulse that constantly resounded in Minseok’s ears. He did not know if it was Jongdae’s or his own but the sound was torturous.

He was certain that Junmyeon came to see him at one point, as he remembered seeing his worried face hovering over him, but that was all he could recall. Minseok knew that sometimes he cried desperately, wishing for the pain to end. Even Jongdae was unable to console him and he just cried until he passed out from exhaustion.

* * *

_Minseok could only sense fire all around him. Red inferno everywhere he looked and all he knew was that he had to escape. He tore through the ruins of the house, desperately looking for paths that were not engulfed by fire. The black smoke made him cough but he had to keep going. He felt a hand grab his arm and pull him through a doorway just before it collapsed and then he was suddenly outside in the spring night._

_The sky was red above him and the air was sickeningly stifling from the fire. The hand holding onto his arm suddenly wrenched it back in a painful way and he cried out – but it was not his own voice coming from his mouth. He looked up to see who had pulled him out the fire and he saw a vampire dressed in the black military uniform. His eyes glowed in the darkness and Minseok cried out in fear but he could not pull himself away._

_There were shouts and he saw more vampire soldiers pulling survivors out of the burning house, rescuing them only to force them to their knees on the grass and hold swords to their throats. Minseok did not recognise the survivors but for some reason he felt a desperate sense of worry for them. The captain of the group appeared and he regarded the scene with a malicious glint in his eyes._

_“Kill them,” he barked with a gesture to some of the people, and Minseok cried out in protest. The vampire holding his arm twisted it painfully.  
“Shut up,” he snapped. “You’re going to die with your family, scum.” _

_Minseok screamed and shouted and tried to tear himself away from the vampire._

_“A fighter, are we?” the captain said as he turned his eyes onto Minseok. “I can see this one won’t go out without a fight. We can use that to our advantage. Hold him steady.”_

_The vampire forced Minseok up to his feet and held his arms back. He felt his heart beating frantically as the captain approached him. He grinned at him, exposing awfully sharp incisor teeth and reached forward to tear his shirt open._

_“We can make a fine and obedient vampire out of you, boy,” he snarled. Without warning he grabbed a handful of Minseok’s hair and pulled his head to the side. With his other hand he ripped off Minseok’s shirt and lunged at his inner arm and his sharp teeth pierced his skin. Minseok screamed until his throat was hoarse but he could do nothing. He was powerless as the vampire drained him of his blood._

_He fell to the floor, utterly weak and dying, and he saw the vampire bite his own wrist.  
“Drink,” he barked and he forced his bleeding wrist to Minseok’s mouth and pinched his nose. He could not pull away and he had no choice but to drink or suffocate. The blood burnt his mouth and he cried out in pain. Thunder rumbled in the sky and the vampire laughed a sickening laugh that made Minseok’s skin crawl. He saw flashes of lightening against the red sky before he passed out. _

* * *

_Minseok blinked through wet lashes as he trudged through the snow towards the manor. He carried someone in his arms though their face was hidden in his chest. They were so light, so terribly weak and still and he felt his heart pound frantically with every step he took. He entered the brightness of the kitchen and ignored the resounding gasps from the servants. The boy seemed to be crying but Minseok paid him no mind because all that mattered was the person in his arms._

_He carried him up to the bedroom and when he laid him down on the bed Minseok was confused because the person was_ him _. He was deathly white and his lips were nearly blue though they were blood-stained. There was so much blood all over him, his shirt was soaked with it, but that was strange because how could he be looking at himself? He spotted the knife embedded in his middle and he gently tugged it out. No fresh blood flowed from the wound and he did not stir. It was such a nightmarish sight but Minseok could not look away because he realised that he had no autonomy over his own body. He was also starting to recognise that the desperate emotions he felt were not from his own heart._

_“Please live,” he sobbed and his voice was not his own but he recognised it.  
“Master, what happened?” Baekhyun cried as he entered the room. The others were with him and Minseok could hear their frantic pulses. He did not care that he openly wept in front of them. _

_“I had to turn him,” Minseok wept. “I had no choice! He’s dying!”_

_Minseok turned around and he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror and he saw messy black hair and wide red eyes and the smallest of curls at the ends of his lips, contorted in a pained grimace._

* * *

“At this rate we’re never going to find him.”  
“Hopefully they can find him. God knows if Jongdae will even be able to get a word out of him.”  
“You sound like you don’t like him, Junmyeon.”  
“He’s been brainwashed…but I don’t know if that has anything to do with it.”

Minseok registered Baekhyun and Junmyeon’s voices before he opened his eyes. Despite still feeling rather weak, he felt no pain in his body. He stared at the bed canopy above him for a moment, taking in the detailed embroidery as he had never noticed it before, and he sat up with some effort.

“Minseok!” Junmyeon exclaimed as his movement was very sudden.  
“You’re alive!” Baekhyun shouted and Minseok winced from his loudness. Then he noticed two dull thudding sounds, but before he could focus on them Baekhyun rushed over and pulled him into a tight hug.

“We were so worried!” he cried, crushing Minseok’s face into his chest.  
“You’re going to suffocate him,” Junmyeon said and he pulled Baekhyun away, only to replace him and hug Minseok even tighter for a moment before he pulled away.  
“Are you well – oh, wow, your eyes.”

Minseok glanced to the side to see his reflection in the dressing table mirror and he saw that the rich brown of his irises was replaced with bright red. His face was paler than normal, but that was of minor concern compared to his eyes. He pulled back his upper lip and Baekhyun stifled his gasp when Minseok revealed sharp incisor teeth. He realised that the faint thudding sounds he heard were his friend’s pulses and that he could also detect their scents, though he was unable to differentiate between them.

“I’m a vampire now,” he murmured but the words did not sound real to him. “What time is it?”  
“It’s just past noon,” Baekhyun said with a gesture to the clock.  
“Noon? I haven’t slept that long, then,” Minseok said.  
“Actually it’s almost been three days since, well…” Junmyeon said hesitantly.  
“Three days? Where’s Jongdae?” Minseok asked, suddenly desiring to be near him.  
“He went to see Yixing,” Junmyeon said. “I said I’d watch over you.”  
“I wanted to as well!” Baekhyun piped up.

Minseok saw the worry in his friends’ eyes and he felt a rush of gratitude. Junmyeon sat on the edge of the bed and Baekhyun hurried around to the other side of the bed to join in and he sat close to Minseok.  
“Thank you,” he said with a faint smile. While he was extremely grateful for his friends’ presences he still felt a very desperate desire to be near Jongdae. He could have sworn he even felt a physical tugging of his heart. “What have I missed?” he asked.

Junmyeon sighed deeply.  
“I was still awake when Yixing came to the apartment and he was very worried,” Junmyeon explained. “I thought you were just staying late at the manor but he told me that you’d been attacked, though you were here, and that it wasn’t safe for me to stay there anymore. I managed to pack your stuff, Minseok.”  
“Thank you,” Minseok said earnestly. “What else happened? What about Jongin?”  
“Well, Jongin disappeared not long after you woke up,” he said and he shook his head in disappointment.  
“Jongdae should have forced everything out of him,” Baekhyun muttered. “He’s too soft.”  
“What even happened, Minseok? We’ve all been trying to piece together everything but Jongin didn’t say anything useful,” Junmyeon said.  
“I was ambushed by three men,” Minseok explained. “They said they knew that I’d been working here for a while, but I have no idea how they would know that. One of them was from the factory. They were going to arrest me, but they saw my bite marks…”

He trailed off as he remembered the attack but he did not let the horror he felt show in his face.   
“They’ve probably been following you,” Junmyeon said and he frowned. “I’ve heard of these vigilantism groups who try to find people to label as traitors.”

Minseok frowned as he recalled the attack. He pulled up his shirt, which was Jongdae’s, and inspected his bandaged middle.  
“Does it hurt?” Baekhyun asked.  
“No…nothing hurts, actually,” Minseok said. He expected his face and body to be battered and bruised from the attack but the few bruises he could spot were nearly faded. He traced his fingers over the fresh bite marks on his neck and again his heart longed for Jongdae. Even though his body still felt a bit fragile his joints and back were stiff and he needed to move. He stretched his arms and climbed out the bed.

“I want to see everyone else,” he said in an effort to distract himself from his unease.  
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Junmyeon asked. He linked his arm with Minseok’s and while he was glad for the support he felt that it was unneeded.  
“I’m fine. This room is a bit stifling,” he said and Junmyeon led him out the room and Baekhyun followed close behind. It was a relief to get out of the stuffy room and into the cool house and even though Minseok was barefoot he did not feel the cold like he used to. He was still rather slow in processing that he was now a vampire but it was perhaps most noticeable in how he no longer felt the winter chill inside the house.

“They’re in my room,” Baekhyun said as he led them down to one of the bedrooms on the first floor. As soon as they entered there was an explosion of noise and Minseok winced. His senses were assaulted by the bright light and the loud pulses thundering in his ears when Chanyeol pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

“You’re alive!” he cried. Sehun and Kyungsoo joined in, the latter trapped beneath someone’s arm, and Minseok felt like he was suffocating for a moment. Junmyeon had the sense to close the curtains and pull Chanyeol away.  
“We thought you died,” Sehun said, sounding a bit tearful. “It was horrible when Jongdae brought you inside! There was so much blood and you were so white.”

Minseok’s mind suddenly flashed back to his vivid dream and the image of his own limp body on Jongdae’s bed, deathly white and covered in blood. He shuddered because now he knew it certainly had not been a dream. Chanyeol steered him over to the bed and sat him down. Five pairs of eyes stared at him intensely as if waiting for something to happen and Minseok felt a bit awkward.

“You look unwell,” Kyungsoo said. “Do you want something to eat or drink?”  
“I don’t think it’ll make me feel better,” Minseok said. “But never mind me, what have you all been doing?”

Sehun and Chanyeol explained that they’d all been bound to the house on Jongdae’s orders for the past three days for their own safety. They had no idea who the attackers were or where they had gone and Jongdae feared that they would try to attack the servants too. They’d all tried to get a coherent word out of Jongin but no one had succeeded.

“He was on the verge of a breakdown,” Sehun said. “Then when I told him that you were alive he seemed really relieved but he still said nothing. He hardly ate too.”  
“How did he flee without being noticed?” Minseok asked. “Surely Jongdae would have noticed?”  
“Jongdae was preoccupied with you,” Kyungsoo said. “Jongin’s room was on the first floor so he was able to climb out the window.”  
“I hope he’s alright…” Minseok said but he noticed Junmyeon’s frown. “What is it?”  
“I don’t trust him,” Junmyeon muttered. “I know he’s just sixteen, but so is Sehun, and he’s never been involved with such dangerous things.”  
“What do you mean?” Minseok asked in confusion. “I thought you said he didn’t say anything useful.”

Junmyeon and Baekhyun exchanged glances and the former sighed.  
“Well, the one thing he said was that everything was his fault. So we’ve guessed that he was the one who led the men to you. He was probably the one following you all this time.”  
Minseok gaped at Junmyeon in surprise. At first he thought that he was being ridiculous to make such an accusation, but he thought back on Jongin’s behaviour. It made sense that he was easily influenced by the other factory workers from the moment they’d pointed out Minseok as a traitor to him. Even when Minseok had helped him to escape from the protest he had seemed so reluctant to accept his help, even if it caused him harm. But he distinctly remembered the fear and uncertainty always present in the boy’s young eyes and Minseok felt that he could not hate him for his actions. He remembered very clearly how he had reacted when he had found Minseok bleeding in the cemetery.

“We don’t know his circumstances,” Minseok said after a moment. “Let’s not assume anything until we actually find him. Didn’t he say he lived by the train station?”  
“Yes, but Jongdae doesn’t want to kidnap him,” Baekhyun said with a disappointed shrug. “And he can’t really waltz into that sector without being noticed. A mob would probably attack him before he can even sniff out Jongin.”  
Minseok did not want to think of such things so he just remained silent as the others fell into casual conversation. Junmyeon sat close beside him and he was grateful for his presence, but he could not ignore the thudding of his heart. Everything felt a bit surreal to Minseok because the last time he was conscious he had been in the throes of his painful transformation. He was battling to fully process everything and he really just wanted to see Jongdae again.

Minseok heard the front door open and despite being on the other side of the house and on the first floor he immediately knew that Jongdae had returned. It was just an innate feeling that he felt in the very depths of his heart and he suddenly got to his feet and hurried out the room before the others could even ask what he was doing. Minseok rushed to the landing to see Jongdae dragging his feet through the foyer. He must have sensed Minseok, as he glanced up as soon as he appeared on the stairs and his eyes widened and his lips parted in a look of disbelief. Minseok hurtled down the stairs at a speed he did not know he possessed and threw his arms around Jongdae.

He felt an intense rush of emotion that was similar to the sensation felt when giving Jongdae blood and he pressed himself close against him, not wanting to be separated ever again. He felt their hearts reaching out for one another, connected by a fiery cord, and he grabbed handfuls of Jongdae’s cloak to tighten his hold around him. Jongdae wasted no time and wrapped his arms around him and buried his face in the space between his neck and shoulder.

“Minseok, oh, my God,” Jongdae murmured, sounding relieved and exasperated. Minseok turned his head to kiss his cheek and Jongdae pulled away to stare at him intently. His expression was unreadable as his eyes scanned over his face.  
“I missed you,” Minseok said. Jongdae smiled at him though it was a small smile that did not reach his eyes.  
“I wasn’t gone for that long,” he said softly. “I didn’t expect you to wake up. Are you hungry?”  
Minseok nodded, knowing immediately that Jongdae was referring to blood and not food. He moved his hand to press it against Jongdae’s chest and he felt his faint heartbeat and it made him feel a rush of affection.  
“Come,” Jongdae said as he took his hand.

As they moved up the stairs Minseok was very sure he saw Baekhyun and Sehun spying from behind the wall but they quickly disappeared from the landing when he and Jongdae approached.

“I’m glad I left you in capable hands,” Jongdae said with a small chuckle. “Nothing you do escapes them.”  
“Thank you for bringing Junmyeon here,” Minseok said.  
“I consider him my own friend too,” Jongdae said.

They entered the bedroom and Minseok grimaced at the stuffy air. Jongdae understood his reaction and quickly put out the fire and opened the windows though he was careful to keep the curtains closed.

“Now, come drink,” he said without any preamble as he shrugged off his cloak and tossed it onto the sofa. “You look hungry.”  
Minseok did not realise he was so eager until he hurried over to Jongdae. It was an indescribable type of giddiness that he felt as he climbed onto the bed beside him and watched as he rolled up his sleeve. But his eyes widened in alarm at the sight of his red scarred wrist.  
“Don’t worry, they’ll fade,” Jongdae said as he noticed Minseok’s expression. “Your teeth came through, did they?”

He reached out his hand and gently pulled back Minseok’s upper lip to inspect his sharp incisors. He brushed his thumb over his skin and Minseok leaned forward to kiss him and he felt Jongdae smile faintly against his lips. He wanted the kiss to last for longer but Jongdae quickly pulled away and presented his wrist to Minseok and then he forgot all about kissing him. He took a hold of his arm as though it was made of glass, careful not to press his nails into the red scars. He bent close to Jongdae’s wrist and he could smell his blood, though it was very faint. It was subtly sweet and the most enticing scent he had ever smelt in his entire life. Hesitantly he opened his mouth, but as soon as his parted lips made contact with Jongdae’s skin, feeling the faint pulsating blood beneath, he lost all inhibitions and bit down hard. He felt his teeth pierce flesh and the hot burning blood flooded into his mouth.

Unlike the time during his transformation it did not scald his mouth and throat. Instead it tingled pleasantly and was the most delicious taste he had ever tasted in his life. He gasped from the sense of satisfaction it brought and he sunk his teeth in deeper, not even noticing the small wince from Jongdae. It was unlike any hunger he’d ever experienced and it needed to be sated now.

“There, Minseok,” Jongdae said and he placed a gentle yet firm hand on his shoulder and Minseok immediately stopped drinking. He pulled away, breathing heavily, and stared at Jongdae’s bleeding wrist. He quickly covered it with a handkerchief.  
“My blood isn’t really the best for you, but it’s all I can offer you at the moment,” he said. “Do you feel better?”  
Minseok nodded, but he did not feel fully sated. He knew that vampire blood did not offer the same satisfaction or nutrients that human blood provided. Vampires could not survive on the blood of other vampires, and it was also not sustainable for the vampire who provided the blood. But Minseok still felt a new sense of vigour surging through him and the weakness in his body started to ebb away.  
“Until you drink human blood you’re considered a fledgling,” Jongdae said as he got up. “But I don’t like that term. It’s patronising.”

Only now did it really dawn on Minseok that Jongdae had saved his life by turning him into a vampire. All the overwhelming onslaught of new sensations and information slowly ebbed away as he realised the gravity of their situation. Being reunited with Jongdae and drinking his blood cleared his mind and Minseok scrambled off the bed to follow Jongdae into the bathroom.

“Jongdae – you saved me,” he said breathlessly. Jongdae paused in cleaning the bite mark on his wrist.  
“You don’t need to thank me,” he said softly. “Rinse your mouth.”  
Minseok obeyed immediately and Jongdae watched him all the while with a strange look in his eyes. Before Minseok could ask what was troubling Jongdae he offered to run a hot bath for him.

“Let me see your wound,” he said as Minseok pulled off his shirt. He folded it neatly as it was Jongdae’s shirt and set it aside. Jongdae carefully removed the bandages and his touch was exceedingly gentle. When the bandages were entirely gone Minseok glanced down and saw a deep red gash in his stomach. He was a bit shocked because it looked as though it was already in the midst of the healing process. Jongdae traced his fingers around the skin, staring at it intently for a moment.  
“It’s healing well. You don’t need to bandage it again,” he said. “I’ll bring you your clothes. Junmyeon brought them.”

After bathing Minseok dressed in a plain pair of trousers and shirt that he often wore and came out into the bedroom to find Jongdae sitting on the couch and staring at the empty fireplace. His brows were furrowed and looked as though he was staring at something a thousand miles away.

“What is it?” Minseok asked. His approach made Jongdae sit up but he turned his face away from him.  
“I’m just tired,” he said. “I’m glad to see you’re well, now I can get some sleep.”

Minseok watched him get up and move about the room.  
“Jongdae…I’m a vampire now,” he said and Jongdae paused in his movement. “It doesn’t feel very different, but the fact that I’m alive…I don’t really know what to say.” Minseok could not really grasp exactly what it meant to now be an ageless, immortal vampire. While he knew enough about vampires to know that they were not that different from humans, he was still in a small state of disbelief just because his body and mind did not feel noticeably different to him. Jongdae approached him and placed his hands on either side of his face and cupped his cheeks gently. Minseok used to find his touch rather cool, but now his hands felt warm against his face. There was deep affection in his eyes as he looked at Minseok but there was also something deeper within that he could not entirely decipher.

“You’re alive, Minseok,” he said softly. “And I’m so relieved. I know that it was wrong of me to turn you,” he said and his thumbs brushed along Minseok’s skin, “but I had to. I had to save you. I…I…”  
He averted his eyes and Minseok saw that he was on the verge of tears so he quickly pulled him into his arms and held him close.  
“Thank you, Jongdae,” he murmured.  
“Please don’t thank me,” he replied in a whisper. “Please…I can’t bear it.”  
“Alright. Just don’t be sad, please,” Minseok said. He did not really understand Jongdae’s sudden emotions but he tried to comfort him nonetheless. He rubbed small circles in his back and kissed his cheek. Jongdae said nothing but he did not cry either as he held onto Minseok. After a few minutes he eventually pulled away from Minseok.

“I’m going to sleep,” he said, his voice slightly stronger, all traces of emotion gone from his face.  
“I’ll join you,” Minseok said. He still felt very clingy though it was a feeling he had never felt previously. He really just wanted to be close to Jongdae.  
“You’ve been sleeping for ages,” Jongdae said as he started to rummage through his wardrobe in search of pyjamas. “Don’t you want to spend some time with the others?”  
“I do, but I don’t want to leave you…”

Minseok’s words trailed away when Jongdae pulled off his shirt and he saw something red on his inner arm. Jongdae paused and Minseok now saw that it was two uneven jagged scars. He suddenly remembered fire and screams and lightening flashing across a red sky. Vampires in black uniforms with drawn swords and the feeling of teeth sinking into his arm. Jongdae noticed his eyes widen and his change in expression. 

“It’s an old wound,” Jongdae said as he turned away and pulled on his pyjama shirt. Minseok did not say anything because he was still not entirely sure of the meaning of his dreams and he did not want to bother Jongdae in his tired state. He followed him to the bed and climbed beneath the duvet with him and snuggled up close beside him. Jongdae did not look at him as he wound his arms tightly around him.

“You saved my life, Jongdae,” Minseok murmured. “I don’t want you to be sad about it.” Jongdae slowly moved to put his arms around Minseok and pulled him close to his chest.  
“You were dying. I had to,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper. “Please don’t think any more about it. All that matters now is that you’re alive.”  
He kissed the top of Minseok’s head and said nothing more. If Minseok was not mistaken Jongdae’s tone was laced with guilt though he could not guess why. He did not want to pester him as he was so tired, and he felt him slowly relaxing his hold around him as he drifted off to sleep.

Minseok was not tired at all. If anything he was now more awake than ever as his mind raced. Turning humans into vampires was a centuries-old taboo. One of the reasons why relationships between vampires and humans became so frowned upon was because it usually resulted in the human being turned in order to have vampire children and be together forever. Humans who had been turned were not seen as real vampires. They were shunned by both worlds and were generally viewed in the same light as humans from blood patron clans in that many humans viewed them as traitors. Because it was so taboo there were hardly any known vampires who had been turned in recent history. In the last few wars it was common practice for vampire armies to capture humans and commit the worst crime by turning them against their will. Those who survived often went into hiding after the war or changed their identities.

Minseok remembered the dream with startling clarity. He knew that it was certainly more than just a dream. He traced his fingers along Jongdae’s arm and he wondered about the scars. He had dreamt about seeing his own lifeless body, only to realise that he was looking at himself through Jongdae’s eyes. Surely then the other dream had also been through Jongdae’s perspective? Were their hearts and souls so close now that Minseok was able to dream Jongdae’s dreams and see his memories? If so, then Jongdae had actually been turned into a vampire against his will and the thought made Minseok shudder. How could he be a prince if he was not born into the family? None of it made sense and it made Minseok feel restless.

He slowly moved away from Jongdae and got up. He was fast asleep and hardly stirred. Though he did not want to leave him, Minseok certainly could not sleep. He happened to glance at the bedside table and he saw his crescent moon pendent but the chain was broken and he supposed that it broke during the attack.

Remembering the incident suddenly made him feel very anxious and vulnerable and he sank back down onto the bed. He nearly died out in the cemetery, left to bleed out of his stab wound. He would have died if it were not for Jongdae. He suddenly felt the same burning desire to be close to him and he found that he could not force himself to leave him now. He lay back down and wrapped his arms tightly around Jongdae. He was so deep in his sleep that he was not disturbed by Minseok’s movements or how he buried his face in his chest. He pushed away the memory of the agony from being stabbed and the desperate fear he’d felt lying in the snow waiting to die. Now he felt safe and less anxious when he was close beside Jongdae hearing the soft but steady beat of his heart.

Minseok could not sleep as he was hardly tired, so he just lay beside Jongdae in silence. He took in every part of his presence, from his pulse to the warmth of his skin to his deep breaths, and he felt his heart swell with unexplainable affection. A long stretch of time passed by before Minseok felt that he should go see his friends. It felt like something was pulling him back and telling him to remain by Jongdae’s side but he managed to get up and quietly leave the room.

He found them in the parlour sitting by the fire. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were playing cards with Kyungsoo, who seemed to be winning if Chanyeol’s furrowed brow and Baekhyun’s grimace was any indication. Sehun and Junmyeon poured over a book together, with the latter explaining its content with the air of a teacher. Minseok looked at the sight fondly for a moment before he stepped inside. The curtains were partially open and although he squinted from the sunlight it did not pain him. He saw that it snowed heavily outside. No one noticed his entrance until he sat down on the sofa and Chanyeol shrieked and sent his hand of cards flying across the carpet.

“You’re a liar, Chanyeol!” Baekhyun shouted as he saw the revealed cards.  
“Minseok! Where did you come from?” Chanyeol gasped, holding his hand to his heart, which Minseok could hear beating frantically.  
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said and he laughed at the boy’s reaction.  
“How’s Jongdae?” Kyungsoo asked while reshuffling the cards. Chanyeol and Baekhyun exchanged smirks but Minseok ignored them.  
“He’s sleeping,” Minseok said. He did not really want to talk about Jongdae because it only made him worry about his strange dreams and the fact that he had been turned into a vampire. He joined the next game of cards in an effort to distract himself. Junmyeon and Sehun joined in too, and soon enough the parlour was a cacophony of shouting and accusations.

Minseok did not notice time passing as he played and joked around with his friends and he was able to actually forget about everything else. In those few hours of laughing and messing around he was just himself, just Kim Minseok, with his closest friends and nothing else mattered. At one point he sensed something familiar, a warm friendly aura, and although it was a feeling he could not explain, he knew that someone was outside the gate. He got up, much to Baekhyun’s protest, and looked peered out the window and spotted Yixing. His eyesight was astonishingly acute and he even from his distance he could make out the vampire’s bright eyes and his dimples when he glanced up at the window where Minseok was standing.

“Yixing is here,” he annoucned. Baekhyun and Junmyeon scrambled to their feet.  
“I’ll go get him, you wake Jongdae,” Baekhyun said and he and Junmyeon hurried out the parlour. Minseok went upstairs to Jongdae’s bedroom. He was in the same position he had left him in, still fast asleep, and Minseok reluctantly woke him up by shaking his arm gently. When he opened his eyes and saw Minseok’s face he jumped and his eyes widened in alarm as if he did not recognise him for a moment.

“Sorry, Jongdae,” Minseok said and he took a step back. “Yixing is here.”  
“Oh…right,” he said, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep and he quickly got up and threw on his dressing gown. Minseok followed him out as he didn’t really know what else to do and they met Yixing in the ground floor parlour where Junmyeon was talking to him. The vampire stepped away from him when Jongdae and Minseok entered.

“Minseok! Thank God you’re well,” he exclaimed with a relieved sigh. “Have you drunk yet?”  
“From me, yes,” Jongdae said in a slightly tense voice. “Any word about the boy?”  
Yixing did not show any reaction to Jongdae’s tone but Minseok was surprised, and so was Junmyeon as he raised his eyebrows.  
“I found the general area where he lives, but I can’t explore it any further without being seen,” Yixing said.  
“Jongin lives by the train station,” Junmyeon said and Yixing turned to look at him in surprise. “But you can’t really get to that area, I suppose. There aren’t any buildings to hide behind.”  
Jongdae let out a frustrated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.  
“Why do you want him?” Minseok asked.  
“I’m investigating into your attack,” Jongdae said without looking at him. “I can’t just let this slide by. How many other humans have been attacked by these groups? I’m taking this into my own hands, along with Yixing’s help.”

Minseok was a bit startled by the hard edge in his voice. There was also a dark glint in his eyes that made him feel uneasy. He knew that Jongdae could not attempt to make it an official investigation because that would then lead to him being discovered as a turned vampire. But he did not want Jongdae to do anything rash that would somehow endanger him or Jongin.

“I can go find him,” Junmyeon said.  
“No,” Yixing said. Though he was firm he still spoke gently. “I don’t want you going back there. And besides, how would you find him without having his scent first?”  
“I could go with,” Minseok said absently. “Junmyeon and I can – “  
“Absolutely not,” Jongdae interjected and Minseok shut his mouth. Junmyeon frowned at Jongdae and Yixing.  
“We can go at night when it’s quiet,” he argued. “No one would guess that Minseok is a vampire.”   
“How will he hide his red eyes?” Jongdae said. “What will you do if a mob suddenly comes after him? Will you be able to protect him, Junmyeon?”

Junmyeon’s argument died in his mouth and he averted his eyes from Jongdae’s burning gaze. Even Yixing looked at him with some shock and there was a tense silence for a moment. Minseok wanted to argue that Jongdae was overreacting and that the only logical way to find Jongin was for him to go with Junmyeon, but a large part of him found that he could not dare to open his mouth to speak against him. He could not even exert physical effort to make his mouth open.

“I think you and I just need to find a way to get in there and conceal ourselves,” Yixing said to Jongdae. “I doubt that people would try to attack two vampires. Junmyeon, if I bring you a map of the area you can point out the buildings to me.”  
“Alright,” Junmyeon said.

Minseok still remained silent, still observing Jongdae intensely. He had calmed down but Minseok still heard his slightly quickened pulse and he knew that he was very adamant about his decision.  
“Alright, we’ll do that later. Jongdae, we have to attend a parliamentary meeting tomorrow morning at eight about the new policy changes.”  
“So early,” Jongdae muttered. “Alright. Would you like to stay here with Junmyeon for a bit? Baekhyun can let you out.”  
Junmyeon looked a bit embarrassed but Yixing smiled.  
“Yes, I would like that a lot. Thank you,” he said.  
“I’m going back to bed,” Jongdae muttered and he left the parlour without another word.

Minseok’s first inclination was to follow him, but he realised that he was not in a good mood so he was able to stop himself. Yixing noticed that he made to take a step forward and he stared at him for a second.  
“Don’t mind him, Junmyeon,” Yixing said gently. “He’s under a lot of stress at the moment.”  
“It’s alright,” Junmyeon muttered, but Minseok knew he would not easily forget the incident.   
“Do you want to go to Jongdae, Minseok?” Yixing asked. Minseok was surprised by his question.  
“Oh, well, yes, but I don’t want to bother him,” he admitted. He wondered if Yixing knew that he felt an innate desire to follow Jongdae around and to constantly be beside him.  
“I doubt you would be a bother to him,” Yixing said with a dimpled smile. “He needs some comfort, I think.”  
“I’ll go then,” Minseok said and he turned to leave, trying not to hurry and expose his eagerness. He knew that Yixing was not subtly dismissing him, as he was blunt by nature, but he thought that the ambassador was rather aware of his hidden sentiment.

It was all very strange to Minseok. While he did enjoy Jongdae’s company and being near him, especially after realising his feelings, this newfound sense of anxious clinginess was different. Also the fact that the was unable to argue against him was something new and it felt like he had lost a sense of autonomy over himself but he really did not know what was happening. He was never a pushover, and yet he had been so easily silenced when Jongdae disagreed with him.

Minseok hurried to the bedroom and saw that Jongdae had buried himself beneath the layers of duvet and blanket. He approached quietly but Jongdae immediately sat up as he took a step closer. He looked at Minseok with a slightly pained expression and he froze on the spot.

“Am I disturbing you?” he asked even though he felt that if Jongdae said yes it would crush him. To his relief Jongdae sighed and shook his head. Minseok took it as a sign that he was granted permission to stay with him so he joined him on the bed again.  
“I was rude to Junmyeon, wasn’t I?” Jongdae muttered. Minseok held his hand to try and comfort him as he looked very troubled.  
“It’s not your fault,” he said and he was surprised by his own words. Jongdae frowned at him.  
“Don’t excuse my behaviour,” he said in a slightly terse voice. “I just want to sleep and forget about everything.”  
“Then sleep,” Minseok said and he gently pulled him down by the arm to lie beside him. “I won’t leave you.”  
Jongdae averted his gaze and turned over to lie on his back. Minseok put his arm around him and snuggled close and while Jongdae was rather tense, which he thought was strange, he still put his own arm around Minseok. As he breathed in Jongdae’s scent and felt his warmth he found it easy to drift off to sleep beside him.

* * *

Minseok’s sleep was interrupted by the same dream concerning the fire and lightening and the vampires. It felt so horribly realistic when the vampire bit into his inner arm that it shook him from his sleep with a start. He sat up and the clock indicated that it was early evening.

“No…please…”

Jongdae’s pained murmurs caught Minseok’s attention and he realised that he was still asleep. Sweat beaded on his forehead above his furrowed brows and he looked as though he was in agony. He clutched onto his left arm so hard that his hand trembled. Minseok shook his shoulder.

“Jongdae, wake up,” he said. “You’re dreaming. It’s not real.” He brushed his thumb along the creased between his eyebrows and shook him again. Jongdae awoke with a gasp and sat up so quickly that he nearly head-butted Minseok. He looked utterly terrified for a moment as though he did not recognise Minseok or his surroundings.

“Jongdae, it’s alright,” he said gently as he clasped his hands tightly. “It’s not real. I also had a bad dream.”  
Jongdae stared at him for a moment, almost holding his breath and there was something like dread in his eyes.  
“What did you dream about?” he asked hesitantly. Minseok was a bit reluctant to talk about it because it was so disturbingly vivid but he could not ignore Jongdae’s question.  
“I was in a burning house somewhere in the mountains,” he said as he remembered the sight of black jagged peaks jutting out against the red sky. “There were these vampires there…and one of them bit me.” He forgot how uneasy he felt while recollecting the dream when he saw the look on Jongdae’s pale face.  
“It’s not a dream, Minseok. That’s one of my memories,” he muttered, pulling his hands away from Minseok’s grasp.

Minseok stared at him in disbelief.  
“Your memory? How is that possible?”  
“I’m sure you know by now that we have a telepathic connection,” Jongdae said while he picked at the hem of his sleeve. “I know that you used to dream about a forest with purple flowers, right?”  
Minseok was speechless as he recalled the peaceful forest and bright white moonlight of his dreams. Jongdae’s presence in the dreams had intensified after he had drunk from him and it made sense seeing as drinking had brought their hearts closer together. He knew that he did have an inclination to be more connected to vampires due to his heritage, as he also had disturbing dreams after his encounters with Prince Yuchan, but he never expected anything as powerful as a telepathic connection.

Now it made sense that he had seen his body on the night of the attack through Jongdae’s eyes. As he thought of the other dream realisation slowly dawned upon him and he suppressed a gasp.  
“Then that dream – that memory – that means you were turned into a vampire?” he asked quietly.

Jongdae nodded and he touched his left arm as though remembering the feeling of being bitten. Minseok was too shocked to say anything. He could not believe that his awful dream was actually Jongdae’s lived experience. The fact that he had been turned against his will made it all the more horrifying.

“It was ninety-six years ago,” Jongdae said. “You know how the vampire armies turned humans out of spite during the wars. After they turned me they killed my family because they thought they wouldn’t make suitable vampires.”

Minseok remembered the faces of the other humans who had been pulled out of the burning house and how he had felt a sense of overwhelming fear for their safety even though he did not know them. Jongdae stared at his hands in his lap and Minseok saw the emotion glistening in his eyes.  
“The vampire who turned me was one of the princes of the Kim Household, Prince Doyoung, so by turning me he became my sire and brought me into the Kim Household. No one outside the Council knows about it, so I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone else.”  
“Of course, Jongdae. I would never,” Minseok said earnestly. He reached out to hold Jongdae’s hand. “I’m…I don’t know what to say…”  
“You don’t need to say anything. It happened and that’s why I’m here,” he muttered. Minseok desperately wanted to comfort him but he hardly had any idea of how to do so. Jongdae had never told him anything of his past and now he knew why. He brushed his thumb over his hand to try and soothe him but he still looked very melancholic.

Minseok opened his mouth to try and say some words of comfort when all of a sudden his senses picked up something that made him freeze. He could smell blood. Fresh flowing human blood and it was in the house. He felt his heart quicken with a sense of giddy anticipation. He glanced in the direction of the door and so did Jongdae.  
“Is that…?”  
“Yes, it’s blood,” Jongdae said as he got up. “I hope no one got hurt or something.”

Minseok followed him out the room though he did not need to as he was led by his sense of smell. It grew stronger with each step he took and without realising it he overtook Jongdae as he hastened down the stairs to the ground floor.

“Ah, I think it’s Yixing,” Jongdae said quietly as they approached the parlour where Minseok had left Yixing and Junmyeon. He did not really hear Jongdae’s words because now the smell was overwhelming and every one of his instincts told him to go towards it.  
“Wait, Minseok!”

Jongdae’s words made him stop just as he started to push open the door. But he had opened it just enough to see inside the parlour and to see Yixing drinking from Junmyeon’s throat on the sofa. Yixing held him close to his body with a hand threading through his hair and supporting his head, his other arm wound tightly around his middle, and Junmyeon held fistfuls of his clothing, a slightly dazed expression on his face, while breathing deeply as the vampire drank. Minseok could see an escaped droplet of blood running down his neck and the sight made his breath hitch in his throat and he almost took another step inside until Jongdae firmly grasped his hand and brought him back to reality. He pulled Minseok away from the door and then he realised that he had intruded and he suddenly felt rather ashamed.

“I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to do that,” he stammered, his cheeks colouring. “I don’t know what came over me.”  
“It’s not your fault. I know how you feel,” Jongdae said quietly. He led him out the passage to the kitchen. The place was strangely cold and empty without the presence of the servants. Minseok knew that they were all still happily playing cards together in the upstairs parlour because the noise echoed throughout the entire first floor.  
“I have a bottle of blood that I kept from the last shipment in case of an emergency,” Jongdae said as he rummaged through the pantry. “It’s not the best quality, but it’s closer to human blood than my own.”

He produced a small dusty bottle and shook it so that the blood swirled around and thickened. He held it up to the light and Minseok saw that it was lighter than what blood normally was, meaning that it was diluted.  
“What about you, Jongdae?” he asked when Jongdae gave it to him.  
“You’ve given me more than enough,” he said quietly. “The night I saved you I had to drain what little blood you had left.”  
“Oh, I see,” Minseok said and his mind flashed back to the image of his lifeless body. He knew that it was a sight he would never forget. He opened the bottle and sniffed the blood, and while it was pleasant it was nowhere as sweet as Junmyeon’s or even Jongdae’s.  
“Thank you, Jongdae,” he said. Jongdae remained standing beside him at the table and he merely nodded. Minseok drank the blood in two gulps and he was slightly disappointed. While it filled him more than Jongdae’s blood, it lacked that burning feeling of satisfaction. He supposed that a vampire could only feel that when drinking directly from someone, even if they were a vampire too.  
“You’ll have to keep drinking from me until the embargo is lifted,” Jongdae said as he took the empty bottle to dispose of it.  
“But what will you do?” Minseok asked. “I feel fine. I don’t think I’ll need any more for a while.”  
“We’ll see as time goes by,” Jongdae said. He reached out to brush his thumb over a drop of blood on the corner of Minseok’s mouth and he brought it to his tongue and he pulled a face once he tasted it.  
“It’s nowhere nearly as nice as your blood,” he said remorsefully. “I’m going back to sleep. You should go to the others.”

Minseok was a bit surprised by how tired Jongdae was, but he did not want to disobey him in any way so he made his way upstairs to the parlour. Only when he was gone did he realise that Jongdae had not even commanded him to leave, it was a mere suggestion, and yet he was so eager to obey.

“Oh, look who showed up,” Baekhyun chorused when Minseok entered the parlour. “Are you here to cheat again?”  
“I don’t cheat,” Minseok huffed as he sat down to join them on the carpet. The fire was a bit too warm for him but he ignored it for the sake of his friends’ own comfort. They played for a while until Junmyeon entered the room. He looked pale and a handkerchief was wrapped around his neck though it was mostly hidden by his shirt collar.

“Uh, is Jongdae awake?” he asked awkwardly.  
“No. Why?” Minseok said. Junmyeon averted his eyes and bit his bottom lip.  
“Yixing would…prefer to stay the night, if that’s alright with Jongdae,” he mumbled inaudibly.  
“I’m sure it would be fine with him,” Minseok said as he got to his feet. He understood that Yixing could not return to the accommodation he shared with the other ambassadors after being in such close proximity with Junmyeon and feeding from him because they would pick up his scent.  
“I’m assuming he’ll stay in your room?” Minseok asked and Junmyeon blushed, much to everyone’s amusement.  
“Is it clean?” Minseok asked and Baekhyun laughed even louder.  
“What do you mean?” Junmyeon asked, ignoring everyone’s giggles.  
“Well, I still work here,” Minseok said with a smile. “I can’t have a guest staying in a messy room.”

As expected, the room was in total disarray and Minseok scolded Junmyeon for it. Even though Junmyeon protested and even tried to physically drag Minseok out, he insisted on tidying it up.  
“What would Yixing think, hmm?” Minseok said with a teasing smirk and Junmyeon tossed a cushion at him.  
“How’s Jongdae? Has he been sleeping all this time?” Junmyeon asked, ducking when Minseok threw the cushion right back at him, only to amble over a second later and arrange it neatly on the bed.  
“He’s very tired,” Minseok said while thinking of Jongdae’s drawn face. It was no wonder he was so exhausted considering that he had been looking after him for nearly three days. Having a nightmare of one of his most traumatic memories probably disturbed his sleep as well.  
“You seem a bit different around him, I’ve noticed,” Junmyeon said slowly. “Maybe it’s just me, but I never expected that from you.”

Minseok tensed slightly. So it was not just his imagination – something had changed in his feelings for Jongdae – but he did not want to acknowledge it.  
“Oh, really?” he said. “I didn’t notice.” He lied before he could stop himself and the impulse horrified him slightly. Again there was a strange feeling of control over his thoughts and actions that only appeared whenever Jongdae was concerned. Minseok did not want to think that he was somehow being controlled by some alien sort of sentiment.

“Have you all had dinner yet? You should eat something, Junmyeon,” he said quickly before leaving the room. Junmyeon followed him but he did not press the subject.

They all gathered in the kitchen with Yixing to assist Kyungsoo in preparing dinner. The ambassador was very friendly and easy-going, and he took a particular liking to Baekhyun as one would to a precocious child. Minseok felt no desire to eat until Kyungsoo served one of his signature dishes and Minseok felt himself salivating. But when he tasted the meat he grimaced.

“Isn’t it nice?” Kyungsoo asked with furrowed brows.  
“I – no – I mean it’s different,” Minseok spluttered, not wanting to offend him.  
“Food tastes different to vampires,” Yixing said kindly. “While I never particularly enjoyed any food, except some desserts from my homeland, you’ll find it difficult to eat anything anymore seeing as you’ve been turned, Minseok.”  
“Oh…right,” he said. He realised that even the taste of water was off-putting and he was slightly saddened at the thought that he would never enjoy Kyungsoo’s cooking again. The others stared at him and Yixing in barely-suppressed fascination. Minseok gave the rest of his food to Chanyeol, who devoured it happily. After they ate and cleaned up, Baekhyun suggested playing another game in the parlour.

“Minseok, I’d like a word with you, if you don’t mind,” Yixing said quietly as he gently touched his elbow. The others were making a great deal of noise regarding Sehun’s losing streak as they left the kitchen so they hardly noticed the Yixing and Minseok staying behind in the kitchen.  
“Oh, of course,” he said politely. While Yixing had a very pleasant and kind face, he could look incredibly serious at times. He looked at Minseok intently.  
“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed or if you even know, but those who have been turned are not like other vampires,” he explained. Minseok nodded. He had a very limited knowledge about turned vampires as it was a taboo subject.  
“I know that I’m not allowed to exist,” he muttered. “This is entirely against the law, isn’t it?”  
Yixing tilted his head to the side and his eyes softened.  
“I don’t mean that, Minseok,” he said. “I mean that as a fledgling, forgive my poor choice of words but I don’t really know what else to call you, you have a bond with Jongdae.”  
“Oh, we’ve always had that,” Minseok said and he felt his cheeks warming. “Even since before he drank from me for the first time.”  
“I don’t mean that,” Yixing said and his smile faded. Minseok was confused. “When a vampire turns a human, they become the master over the fledgling’s blood and soul. A fledgling is bound by blood to obey their master’s every word. I’m sure you’ve realised that you have a newfound desire to be close to Jongdae, am I right?”

Minseok gaped at Yixing in disbelief.  
“But I love him,” he said, not caring how silly he sounded. “Why shouldn’t I want to be close to him?”  
He heard the strange defensive note in his voice only after he had spoken and he clasped a hand to his mouth in shock. Yixing looked saddened.  
“You’re also unable to disagree with him, or go against him in any way,” he continued. “I noticed that earlier and I was a bit disturbed. I’ve only ever read about this, so seeing it was rather shocking.”  
“Why are you telling me this?” Minseok asked. He felt slightly nauseous and annoyed and afraid at the same time. The thought that he had no autonomy over himself was frightening.  
“We both know that Jongdae would never abuse this,” Yixing said quickly. “But I can tell that he’s very upset about it. You must not blame him if he becomes distanced from you.”

Minseok felt his heart skip a beat for a moment because the mere thought of Jongdae distancing himself from him was unthinkable.  
“He won’t,” he said firmly. “I love him and he loves me. He would never do that,” he said, speaking without restraint or control again. Yixing frowned at him and although he was not annoyed Minseok felt very defensive.  
“Minseok, you mustn’t be delusional,” he said with a warning tone in his voice. “I don’t want your relationship to suffer because of this.”  
“I’m sorry, Yixing, but it’s not really your place,” he said, and although he was horrified by his own words he was sure he meant it.

Yixing looked taken aback. He opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it and shook his head.  
“I’m sorry, Minseok,” he said with a sad sigh. He did not seem to be apologising for his words but rather for something else. He said nothing more and left the kitchen. Minseok waited for a moment before following him out and his mind was racing. Looking back on his actions he was horrified because he had never been so rude in his life before. Why was he so defensive about Jongdae? It really was as though he had no control over his words and the thought made him scared. He felt so scared and unsure that he wanted to be by Jongdae’s side again because everything was fine when he was with him.

Instead of joining the merriment in the parlour Minseok hurried up to Jongdae’s bedroom. As soon as he lay down beside him and curled up beneath his arm he felt his frantic heart ease and the knot of anxiety in his stomach ebb away. Yixing didn’t know what he was talking about, that was all. He even said that he’d never witnessed a fledgling, so what right did he have to assume anything about Minseok’s behaviour?

But why was he acting so differently? He would be a fool to convince himself that he wasn’t. Minseok knew that he could not dare to oppose Jongdae. He could not even entertain Yixing’s suggestion that he was not acting of his own volition. He didn’t know what to think anymore so he squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in Jongdae’s chest and let his scent and the thudding of his heart lull him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you to everyone who has left comments and kudos so far ~ ✿♥ >.< ♥✿


	10. Chapter 10

_Minseok let out a frustrated cry and tugged at his hair. The girl’s blood was still on the carpet even though she’d already been removed from the house. He knew she would survive getting bitten but she would be traumatised for the rest of her life. Then other humans would see the bite marks on her arms and she would be ostracised too. He’d just tried to help her but now he’d gone and made her life even worse._

_“Why are you so insolent?” a cold voice said. Loud footsteps marched over to him and a strong hand grabbed his shoulder and wheeled him around to meet glowering red eyes and a scowling face. There were still traces of blood on the corners of his scowling mouth._

_“You’ve caused nothing but trouble for this household. If my father was still alive I would kill him for ever turning you and bringing you here.”  
“Then go dig him up and tell him,” Minseok snapped, speaking in a voice that was not his own. “I don’t care what _you _think of me. You think I want to be a part of this godforsaken household and be your brother? Think again, Yuchan!”_

_Minseok shoved him hard in the chest but Yuchan was bigger and stronger than him. He slapped him across the face and Minseok stumbled back. He cursed and clutched at his stinging cheek._  
_“Know your place, Jongdae,” he spat. “Thank God I’ve married into a better household. My wife, unlike you, knows the difference between the humans who serve us and the ordinary scum out on the streets. What business do you have giving charity to beggars and bringing them here? It’s downright disgusting!”_  
_“You’re a sick bastard,” Minseok yelled. “How can you favour some humans over others just because you drink from them? You’re a hypocrite!”_

_Yuchan rolled his eyes and shook his head._  
_“You would never understand because you were born scum,” he muttered in distaste. “Also, I think that you’re the real hypocrite here. You’ve been so close to the human clan ever since you came here. You know that you would easily favour them over that filthy girl you brought in here.”_  
_“Shut up,” Minseok grumbled. He knew that he was going to lose his temper very quickly but he would never stand a chance in a fight against Yuchan. Out of all of his adoptive siblings in the Kim Household Yuchan was the absolute worst. He hated him ever since the day he’d met him ten years ago during the war._  
_“Delude yourself all you want,” Yuchan said with a twisted smirk. “Perhaps one day you’ll drink from some poor human urchin and fall in love with them. Then I’ll finally have you kicked out of this household.”_

_Minseok shoved past Yuchan and marched out the room and down the winding passage and burst into a room and locked himself inside, breathing hard. He hard Yuchan’s mocking laughter echoing down the passage and he immediately threw himself onto the piano bench and struck up a loud cacophony of chords. The song grew louder and louder in his effort to drown out Yuchan’s voice. He smashed his fingers against the keys so hard that it pained him but he just allowed himself to vent his frustration out on the piano until he was tired and breathless._

_He hated being a vampire so much. He hated his life so much. Ten years had passed and not one day had gone by without him resenting his life. The human clan who served the Kim Household was the only thing stopping him from running away, never mind the laws that bound him to the household. Only humans gave him comfort, to remind him that once upon a time he had been one of them. He had enjoyed piano as a human as well and he thought that he would never play it again in the confines of the house, until one of the humans had offered to play a duet with him. He sighed and pressed his fingers against his closed eyes. There was no use in fighting with Yuchan. He was leaving the house soon forever. Then he would finally have some peace._

* * *

Minseok was awakened by a sudden lack of warmth at his side. He forced his eyes open to see Jongdae getting up. He made a sound of dissent and tried to reach out for him. He was slow in remembering his vivid dream but all he remembered was that it had been another one of Jongdae’s memories. It had been uncomfortably vivid and Minseok knew that he had shared it with Jongdae. It was far too early for either of them to be awake anyway.

“I have to go to a parliamentary meeting, Minseok,” Jongdae said in a tired voice as he moved about the room. Minseok heard him running the bath and he pulled the duvet over his head. He found it difficult to go back to sleep as he thought of the dream. He suddenly remembered seeing Prince Yuchan’s face and he gasped in realisation and sat up.

Prince Yuchan was from the Kim Household, and Jongdae was his adopted brother. Minseok could hardly imagine sharing a house with him and the thought made him shudder. Jongdae emerged from the bathroom dressed in formal clothing and Minseok watched him move about the room getting ready. He did not know if he should say anything about the dream, but Jongdae could feel his eyes and his sense of hesitation. He paused in combing his damp hair and turned to meet Minseok’s gaze.

“Yes, Yuchan is my brother,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry you have to see my memories. I don’t know how to teach you to control it.”  
“Don’t apologise,” Minseok said as he heard the guilt in his voice. “I’m just surprised.” Jongdae said nothing and returned to brushing his hair. Minseok desperately wanted to offer him some comfort, but he also did not want to bother him so he remained on the bed. He laid back and just watched Jongdae in silence and he felt his eyes starting to close.

“Goodbye. I’ll see you later,” Jongdae said, his voice suddenly near Minseok’s ear but very soft. Minseok opened his eyes and saw Jongdae kneeling beside the bed and the sight was so lovey that he leaned over and kissed him. Jongdae cupped his cheek briefly before pulling away. He gave him one last glance and a small smile that did not reach his eyes before he left the room. Minseok savoured the feeling of his lips and felt his heart soar and then it was easier to go back to sleep.

He awoke later feeling refreshed, but disappointed to discover that Jongdae had not yet returned. But now that he finally felt well enough he decided that it was time to return to his job as the manor’s cleaner. Baekhyun and the others laughed at him when they saw him with his broom and duster but he threatened to chase them outside if they did not cooperate. There as an incredible build-up of dust in the house after being neglected for so long and Minseok was happy to be doing something instead of just waiting around thinking about Jongdae and his disturbing dreams. His conversation with Yixing was also another unwelcome thought in his mind and he desperately needed to forget it.

Jongdae returned to the manor in the late afternoon and he looked utterly spent. Minseok waited until he had spoken with everyone else until he followed him to his room, only to be disappointed to discover that he was leaving again. There were a lot of Council and parliamentary meetings that he had to attend in order to make policy changes to prevent any more tensions and war, and while Minseok knew Jongdae was just doing his job he was a little sullen at his absence.

Jongdae’s presence became infrequent for the next two days and it only made Minseok incredibly impatient to see him. He was also becoming increasingly worried about the fact that he was a turned vampire and he was just waiting for someone to somehow find out. He also wandered about how the embargos would affect him in the long run because he could not drink Jongdae’s blood for much longer.

Junmyeon and the others were growing rather bored at being confined to the house for such a long time and they’d taken the liberty of exploring the garden and it only made Minseok feel even more restless. Even in winter it remained unruly and overgrown, and Minseok could only watch from a window while they played around and made snowballs. The sunlight would be too strong for him to handle for longer than ten minutes, but Junmyeon sympathised with him and kept him company inside on such occasions.

* * *

When Jongdae finally returned one evening he brought Yixing with and Junmyeon was eager to spend some time with him. He did not even bother to hide his eagerness as he ran into Yixing’s arms and greeted him with soft murmurs.

Minseok, however, noticed that Jongdae behaved a bit strangely. When he rushed to greet him Jongdae turned his face to the side so that he kissed his cheek instead of his lips. When Minseok told him he missed him he merely nodded and excused himself to go rest. Minseok tried to tell himself that Jongdae was just tired, nothing more.

Minseok sat on the couch in the music room, staring at the piano. He’d also played a bit of violin in Jongdae’s absence but he dearly missed his piano accompaniment. Suddenly Minseok smelt blood and he whirled around to see Junmyeon in the doorway holding a handkerchief to his throat.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Junmyeon said as he entered the room. “Why are you sitting alone in the dark?”  
“Jongdae’s being a bit odd,” Minseok confessed as his friend sat down beside him. “I don’t know what to make of it.”  
“Hmm, perhaps he’s just tired,” Junmyeon said with a shrug. “Even Yixing’s a bit quiet. I suppose there’re a lot of things going on with parliament and the Council.”   
“I suppose…” Minseok muttered.

He noticed how Junmyeon slumped on the sofa.  
“Are you sure he should be drinking from you? Didn’t he drink recently?”  
“It wasn’t a lot,” Junmyeon said. “Don’t worry. This is the last time for a while. He said the embargoes should be lifted soon.”  
“I hope so,” Minseok said with a sigh.

They sat in silence for a moment and Minseok moved closer to Junmyeon just because his fresh bite marks smelt so pleasant.  
“I’m glad you’re alive, Minseok,” Junmyeon suddenly said and Minseok was taken aback.  
“Why all of a sudden?” he asked with a chuckle. Junmyeon turned to smile at him.  
“I’m just grateful,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately since I’ve had so much time. I’m really happy you started working here and met Jongdae.”  
“So am I,” Minseok said, shifting closer to Junmyeon so that he rested his head on his shoulder. He breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of his blood. He could almost taste it on his tongue. He tilted his head to the side to see the bite marks but they were hidden by the handkerchief.  
“I hope they find Jongin soon and sort this all out,” Junmyeon said with a yawn. “I wonder if everyone else in the sector thinks you’re dead.”  
“They must, because or else there would have been an angry mob here or something,” Minseok muttered. He felt slightly agitated at not being able to see the bite marks. He wanted to see them, fresh and red, to smell them better.

Junmyeon grew increasingly drowsier as they spoke, and the hand holding the handkerchief slipped away from his throat. Minseok could not help but turn his face towards his exposed neck and he breathed in deeply.

“Are you smelling my blood?” Junmyeon asked with a small laugh.  
“Well, it’s difficult not to,” Minseok said, feeling slightly embarrassed. He had not even been entirely aware of his actions.  
“I’d offer you some if I hadn’t already given to Yixing,” Junmyeon said. He bent his head to the side and pulled down his shirt collar. “But you’re welcome to sniff all you want.”  
Minseok knew he was joking around so he humoured him by placing a hand on his shoulder and leaning close enough to press his nose against his neck and took a dramatic intake of breath.

For a moment he forgot that they were joking when the strong scent hit him fully and overwhelmed his senses. Junmyeon’s blood smelt so impossibly sweet and enticing. His breath hitched in his throat and he found the uncontrollable desire to open his mouth near the fresh red bites, right over where the blood had congealed in the healing process.

“Stop, Minseok!”

Jongdae’s voice brought Minseok back to reality and he froze in horror. His teeth were mere centimetres away from Junmyeon’s throat and his grip on his shoulder had tightened considerably. Jongdae rushed forward and pulled Minseok away from Junmyeon with an astonishingly strong grasp. His eyes burnt with an emotion that Minseok mistook for rage and he gasped as a sudden fear surged through him. The fear that he had disobeyed overwhelmed his senses and his mind.

“I’m sorry, master – I didn’t – “

Minseok froze at the words that spilled from his mouth and Jongdae’s eyes widened. He flung his hand away as though his touch had burnt him.

“He wouldn’t bite me, Jongdae!” Junmyeon exclaimed as he rushed over to Minseok. “We were just joking around!”  
“He was about to, Junmyeon,” Jongdae retorted.   
“I didn’t mean to,” Minseok stammered. Jongdae’s eyes softened when he met his gaze but there was nothing but sadness swimming in his eyes.  
“It’s my fault, Minseok. Please don’t think I’m angry with you,” he said. “I never should have turned you.”

His words caused Minseok to stop breathing for a moment.  
“You would prefer it if I had died, then?” he said slowly, his mouth moving without his control.

He was unaware of the desperate pleading tone in his voice and Jongdae shook his head and his face was a resigned mask.  
“Do you know why you just called me master?” Jongdae asked. Minseok bit his lip, hating the waves of what he interpreted as displeasure radiating from Jongdae.  
“It was just a mistake. It’s an old habit,” he stammered but Jongdae shook his head.  
“You’re bound to me as a fledgling,” he muttered, his words laced with disgust. “And I hate every minute of it! You’re bound to obey everything I say and I can’t stand it!”  
“I – I’m not!” Minseok gasped in an attempt to force out the words and it pained his throat to speak out against Jongdae. He was sure he even felt something stabbing him deep within his chest from his actions. Yixing’s words came back to him, so awful and unwelcome, but he could not believe it.

“If I told you to jump out the window right now, would you do it?” Jongdae asked and his voice echoed loudly in the room. Minseok opened his mouth to say no, but he could not find his words. His hesitation was enough for Jongdae and he shook his head, his eyes wide in distress.  
“You see? I can’t live like this!” he exclaimed. “I’m forcing you through the same torment I went through and I hate it. I’m so sorry, Minseok, but I never meant this for you.”  
“It’s fine, I don’t care because I – “  
“Don’t tell me you love me,” Jongdae interjected and his tone stung Minseok. “This isn’t love! It’s twisted obedience and I won’t have it!”

He turned to march out the room without another word and Minseok rushed after him despite Junmyeon calling after him. Jongdae moved quickly, just a blur to Junmyeon’s human eyes, and Minseok was just able to catch up with him when he reached his bedroom.

“I’m sorry! I can’t help it!” he cried. “What are you doing?”  
“I’m leaving. I have to break this bond,” Jongdae said as he threw his cloak over his shoulders. Minseok stared in horror as he rushed about grabbing miscellaneous items to shove into a satchel. The thought of Jongdae, _his master_ , leaving caused a sudden pain in his chest and a weakness in his legs and he collapsed onto the couch. A strange sense of nausea overcame him and his mind clouded.

“Master, don’t leave,” Minseok cried out. “I’ll come with you! I’ll listen to everything you say I promise!” He was not even aware of the words spilling from his mouth and he spoke automatically.  
“I can’t, Minseok,” Jongdae said and his voice was thick with emotion. “I’m sorry, but I’ll use this bond for one command: I forbid you from following me. You are to stay away from me, do you understand?”

His words caused a sudden pain to spike through Minseok’s heart. He clutched at his chest and made a sound of strangled agony. It felt as though his heart really was shattering and he struggled to breathe.

“I don’t expect you to ever forgive me. I’m sorry, Minseok. I really am,” Jongdae said and a single tear rolled down his cheek. Then he swept out the room without another word and all Minseok could do was watch him leave.

He heard him thundering down the stairs and he heard the voices of Junmyeon and the others, and then Yixing’s voice, and then the front door opened and slammed shut. He felt the pain in his chest again and he winced and doubled over on the sofa. It felt like the shattered pieces of his heart had been ripped out of his chest.

“Minseok, what happened?” Junmyeon asked, panting hard as he burst into the room with Yixing.  
“Jongdae left,” Minseok murmured. He was in a mild state of shock and spoke in a monotonous tone because he was struggling to process everything. “He forbade me from following him.”  
“What caused this?” Yixing asked. Junmyeon quickly explained the incident to him and he rushed over to Minseok.  
“This isn’t your fault, Minseok,” he said firmly. “Do you understand me?” Minseok merely stared at him, feeling utterly empty and lost.  
“Stay with him, Junmyeon. I’m going to drag Jongdae back here and make him face his responsibilities,” Yixing muttered, his eyes dark and he hurried out the room.

Junmyeon watched in astonishment as he left but then he turned his attention to Minseok.  
“I don’t understand. Why did he go?” he asked.  
“He regrets turning me,” Minseok said, but now as he spoke and verbalised it he felt tears stinging his eyes. “He’s my master, Junmyeon, and now he’s gone!”  
He buried his face in his hands and let out an anguished sob. Waves of regret rolled over him as he thought that it was his fault. He had displeased his master so much that he had no choice but to leave and abandon him. He felt Junmyeon put an arm around him to comfort him but it was of no use. Minseok felt as though everything was crashing down around him. What was he without his master? He was nothing but a fledgling, not even a real vampire. He had never fit in as a human and now he was even worse off.

“Minseok, you need to snap out of this,” Junmyeon said in a worried voice. “I’ve never seen you like this. Since when is Jongdae your master in this sense?”  
“You don’t understand,” Minseok gasped through his uncontrollable tears. “I – I don’t even know – I can’t explain!”  
“I’m not trying to upset you,” Junmyeon said quickly and he rubbed his back soothingly. He was incredibly worried but Minseok hardly noticed because he was so overwhelmed by everything that all he could do was cry into his hands. The pain in his chest seemed to worsen with each passing minute and it was more excruciating than being stabbed and even his transformation because it really felt as though something was being ripped away from his soul and leaving him bleeding and torn.

He did not notice any time passing in his state of inconsolable grief until Yixing returned.  
“Minseok, look at me,” he said kindly and he gently pried his hands away from his face. Yixing’s eyes widened in concern but Minseok hardly cared. He wanted to ask Yixing if he had found Jongdae but he could not find any coherent words. He was a trembling mess.  
“You should rest, Minseok. You’ve had a terrible shock,” he said as he pulled him up to his feet. Junmyeon put an arm around his waist to support him as his legs were unsteady. They led him out of Jongdae’s room and even leaving that behind him caused Minseok more grief.

“What’s happening, Yixing?” Junmyeon asked frantically when Minseok let out another sob. “I don’t understand. Is this because of their bond?”  
“I’m afraid so,” Yixing said. “It’s something from the old world…from the days before clans and all that. I can’t really explain it. We just need to watch him because the breaking of this bond is rather traumatic. I’ve read about fledglings dying because of it.”

Minseok was led to a bedroom and only once he was taken to the bed did he realise that it was Junmyeon’s room because he recognised his scent. He was in such a delirious state that he could only rely on his senses to figure out what was happening. He detected other scents – the servants appeared in the room all with wide-eyed expressions. He felt as though he was watching everything from behind some sort of lens because he did not feel as though he was experiencing it in his own body.

“Where did Jongdae go? Couldn’t you find him?” Baekhyun asked. Yixing shook his head and he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Minseok turned away from him and buried his face in the pillow. Nothing could console him because his master had abandoned him.

“Minseok, you’re going to break free from this,” Yixing said firmly and he placed a strong hand on his shoulder. “You know that Jongdae would never want you to obey him like this. It’s unnatural and wrong.”

The mention of Jongdae’s name made him feel a pain again in his chest and he made a sound of agony. Yixing turned him over, gently but firmly, and pressed a palm to his forehead and scrutinised him with his bright eyes. Then he said something in his own language in a low voice and although Minseok did not understand, the part of him that was being influenced and controlled by his fledgling-master bond with Jongdae heard his words.

_You are your own being. You have control over your own soul, Minseok._

He stared at Yixing as the foreign words washed over him and embedded themselves within him and spoke to his soul. There was a strange timbre in his voice as he spoke and it sent chills down Minseok’s spine. He felt the stabbing shattering in his heart again as if the powers of the bond was trying to hold on tighter to Minseok’s soul and he winced. Yixing grabbed his hand and held it tightly and spoke again.

_You chose to love Jongdae of your own accord and he did the same. He has no power over you and you know it. He has no desire for such. Jongdae turned you to save your life because he loves you, Minseok. You have control over your own soul._

For a second Minseok’s vision blurred and he was staring up at the moon, panting hard as blood poured from the wound in his stomach. He was consumed by raw fear because he was definitely going to die. Then he saw Jongdae’s face above him and saw the tears spilling from his eyes.  
“All I can do is turn you, Minseok,” he said in a thick whisper. “I can turn you into a vampire.”

Minseok blinked and gasped. He was back in the room and he felt as though he was battling with some unseen force that was desperately trying to take control of his soul. It felt as though he was possessed because he was aware of something entirely alien trying to retain its grip over him. He thought of Jongdae and how dearly he loved him and it made him hurt more, but then he remembered the fond times they’d spent together. He remembered cleaning his room while he kept Minseok company and he thought back to the time they’d spent together in the music room.

The force over him weakened as he came to realise that he and Jongdae had a deep, mutual affection for one another that only became further entrenched when he had drunk from Minseok. The memory made something stir in his heart, something similar to that which he had felt the moment Jongdae sunk his teeth into his wrist. He clutched at his chest, feeling short of breath. All the while Yixing spoke calm words in his own language and placed his palm over his heart.

Then Minseok gasped, taking in a deep gulp of air as it suddenly felt like something was pulled out of his chest. His vision swam for a moment and he felt light-headed.

“Minseok, can you hear me?” Yixing said. “Did you feel it?”

Minseok blinked at him and then he noticed six other incredibly worried faces staring at him. He felt as though he could breathe easier and that his mind was cleared from a strange haze.  
“What just happened?” he murmured as he sat up. “I – I felt like I was _possessed_ or something.”  
“I think you’ve overcome the power of that bond,” Yixing said and his eyes searched Minseok’s intently. “Do you still wish to serve and obey Jongdae as your master?”  
“What? No,” he said immediately and Junmyeon gasped in surprise. Minseok thought back on his recent behaviour and he was horrified. Recalling the recent memories was like watching the actions of someone who just looked like him. While some moments were genuine and normal, most of the time he knew that he was not acting or thinking of his own accord.   
“I didn’t – I can’t believe I felt that way…”  
“Was that magic, Yixing?” Baekhyun asked in a hushed whisper of pure awe.

The tension in the air lessened and Yixing’s face broke into a dimpled smile. He looked at Baekhyun as though he was his son.  
“I have many powers I’ve acquired over the past hundred years,” he said. “You might still feel a bit strange, Minseok, but I think I’ve removed most of the power over you. I suggest you rest here tonight.”  
All Minseok could do was nod because he did feel a strange sense of exhaustion overcoming his body. Yixing got to his feet and asked Baekhyun to let him out as he had to return to his ambassador duties.

“That was honestly one of the strangest and scariest things I’ve ever seen,” Junmyeon said with a heavy sigh as he sat down beside Minseok.  
“It’s like you were a different person,” Sehun said.  
“Did Jongdae really disappear?” Chanyeol asked. “Surely he can come back now that you’re back to normal?”  
“I don’t know…” Minseok murmured. He was still in a state of disbelief.

They spoke quietly for a bit until Baekhyun returned.  
“Yixing said he’ll try to send word to Jongdae but he needs to find where he is first,” he explained. “I hope he doesn’t just go into hiding for twelve years like last time.”  
“Why did he do that in the first place?” Junmyeon asked.  
“I’ve never asked…but now I can guess it was because he was made the last head of his household,” Minseok said quietly. “It’s obvious he didn’t want the position.”

There was a moment of silence until Sehun grunted.  
“He runs away from his problems too much,” he muttered. “Anyway, it’s late. We should all get some sleep if we want to deal with this tomorrow. Hopefully Yixing will find him.”  
They bade Minseok good night and gave him some words of comfort, which he appreciated greatly, and left the room.

“I can’t believe I behaved like that,” Minseok muttered as Junmyeon got into bed beside him. He pulled the duvet over him and fretted over him a bit.  
“I don’t know what else to call it, but it’s like some sort of magic to me,” Junmyeon said. “But you really were different…it was scary.”  
Minseok turned to look at his best friend and saw the genuine concern in his large eyes.  
“I’m glad I have you here, Junmyeon,” he said quietly. “Jongdae…he might never want to come back. I don’t blame him.”

The thought brought tears to his eyes and Junmyeon frowned.  
“Don’t say that. I understand why he’s upset but he can’t just leave you in such a vulnerable state. It’s a small wonder that no one has tried to investigate our whereabouts or anything…and I feel that it won’t last long.”  
Minseok also had a strange sense of dread in his gut.  
“Also…I’m sorry I nearly bit you,” he muttered in a small voice. Junmyeon shook his head and waved a hand dismissively.  
“I still doubt that you would have,” he said. “Although I don’t really know the details, I know that you’re going through a difficult time. It’s fine, Minseok.”  
Minseok sighed but he was eternally grateful for his friendship with Junmyeon.  
“Well, at least we have each other. You, me, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Sehun, Kyungsoo, and Yixing,” he said. He reached out for Junmyeon’s hand and squeezed it tightly.

The events of the past week were incredibly overwhelming for Minseok and Jongdae’s absence only made him feel more unsure and anxious but all he could do was trust in the presence of his friends.

* * *

_The house was familiar now to Minseok. He was able to sense that it was a dream – Jongdae’s memory – and that he was not within his own body. It was night and the passage was dark. He could feel his chest heaving and his blood rushing in his ears as a pair of strong hands pulled him to his feet and pushed him roughly against the wall. A vampire stood before him and Minseok recognised him from the first memory he had dreamt of. He was the vampire who had turned Jongdae, Prince Doyoung._

_“You belong to me now. Understand, boy?” the vampire barked. Minseok was utterly terrified and there was the lingering taste of blood in his mouth. He desperately wanted to shake his head and protest because no, he did not belong to anyone. He was his own person. But the very thought of disobeying made his vision swim and he shut his eyes, wincing from the strange feeling in his chest._

_He could not dare to disobey his master. His head nodded slowly as though being controlled by an unseen being._

_“Your transformation is only complete once you drink human blood. So stop fighting it and give in to your instincts!” he said and his deep voice echoed in the passage. “Come here.”_

_He spoke to the side in a far gentler tone and Minseok felt his hands tremble as a girl emerged from the shadows. She was hardly older than him and she was well-dressed like a noblewoman even though she was human. She smiled kindly at him._

_“You must drink from me, master,” she said as she rolled up her sleeve. “It is my duty to serve the Kim Household.”  
“No! I don’t want to!” Minseok cried with Jongdae’s voice, his mind suddenly clearing from a thick fog. “Please I don’t want this!” _

_A low growl came from the vampire before him.  
“You’ll do as you’re told. Drink from her now,” he said firmly. The displeasure in his voice made Minseok flinch and he suddenly felt fearful. He felt his body move of its own accord. He took the girl’s arm in his hands and he was unable to stop himself from biting her wrist. _

Minseok awoke panting and sweating. He saw that it was nearly dawn outside so he fell back against the pillows with a sigh. Junmyeon was fast asleep beside Minseok and he envied him. He realised that that was the first dream where he had been able to distinguish himself apart from Jongdae. It did not really make him feel any better because it was still a disturbing experience. The way in which he’d felt Jongdae obey Prince Doyoung made him shudder because that’s exactly what he’d experienced without being conscious of it. He thought of Jongdae being a fledgling, all alone and at the mercy of Prince Doyoung and he felt a pang in his heart. Now when he thought back to Jongdae’s recent behaviour it all made sense and Minseok felt incredibly saddened.

He could not go back to sleep because there was just so much to worry about. Aside from the melancholic thoughts of Jongdae’s past, Minseok missed him. If no one could find him then how would he know that the bond was broken and that he could return?

Minseok rolled over onto his back and sighed in frustration and kicked off the duvet. Junmyeon made the bed far too hot and then Minseok was reminded that he was a vampire. No, not a vampire yet, he was still a fledgling. He was still rather powerless without Jongdae to guide him and it made him feel anxious.

He lay awake as time passed slowly until he started to feel bored and frustrated. He got up quietly and left Junmyeon and wandered about the house for a bit like a ghost. It was incredibly quiet in the early morning as everyone was asleep and Minseok’s footsteps hardly made a sound on the wood. He stood in the second floor passage for a while thinking back to the time he had first met Jongdae in the darkness. His feet took him to the music room where he skimmed through the sheet music books. He found Jongdae’s unfinished composition and he felt a pang in his heart.

Although the notes were legible Minseok could hardly make out the title because it had been scratched out. Minseok remained there for a while, softly plucking the violin strings to Jongdae’s composition and he did not notice the passing of time until Junmyeon came to find him.

“How are you feeling?” he asked as he sat down beside him.  
“Better,” Minseok said, his fingers lingering on the strings. “But I feel like we’re all stuck in some sort of limbo now. None of us can really leave the house now, can we?”  
“Maybe the others can,” Junmyeon said. “I doubt your attackers have still been hanging around here. You’re presumed dead so you can’t leave, and I guess I’ve disappeared, so I’m stuck in here with you.”  
“Thanks,” Minseok scoffed. “God, I almost forgot about all of that…I wonder if Jongin is alright.”  
“Worry about other things, Minseok,” Junmyeon said with a sigh. “Baekhyun has cabin fever and he’s close to destroying he house.”

Baekhyun and the others were indeed incredibly bored, so Minseok suggested that they all leave the house for fresh air. He got the sense that they were actually waiting for him to do so, because before he had even finished speaking they got up and hurried out with their coats and shoes. Minseok watched them kick snow at each other as they hurried down to the gate and left. He smiled at the sight but he could not contain deny that he was jealous.

He returned to the violin and Junmyeon occupied himself with a book for the remainder of the day. Minseok found Jongdae’s composition to be nothing short of a masterpiece and he was intent on learning it even though it was incomplete. Whenever he had spoken it about it he made it sound as though it was mainly for piano with some minor violin parts. Minseok discovered that it could actually serve as a duet for the both of them and it made his heart swell. In the margins near the violin parts Minseok could make out small scrawls reading: _For Minseok_. The words reappeared again and again throughout the sheet music and reading it made Minseok feel butterflies in his stomach and he even blushed as if discovering his feelings for the first time all over again. As he played through the bars he smiled because he knew that Jongdae had thought of him while composing it.

* * *

Baekhyun and the others returned before sunset, cheeks red from the cold and from general excitement, as they had gone all around the area for hours of general exploring. Baekhyun excitedly waved a newspaper in Minseok’s face while they gathered in the kitchen for dinner.

“Everything’s going to be fine!” he cried. “They’re going to lift the embargoes soon! There are even peace talks!”

Minseok snatched the newspaper from him before he could overturn his bowl of food and he read over the headlines with Junmyeon. Indeed they were the most positive headlines he had read in months. While the situation was still very delicate, it seemed to be taking a turn for the good.

“How was the atmosphere outside? Are people still tense?” Minseok asked.  
“There weren’t any vampires around, so I’m not too sure,” Baekhyun said. “But hopefully – “

Minseok suddenly sat up straight in his chair and Baekhyun jumped from his sudden action. He felt an awfully familiar presence nearby and a knot of anxiety coiled in his gut.  
“Someone’s at the gate,” he said slowly. Junmyeon glanced up hopefully but Minseok shook his head. “It’s not Yixing.”

Everyone exchanged glances of worry.  
“I’ll go look out the window,” Baekhyun said as he reluctantly got to his feet. He dragged Chanyeol with him out the kitchen, but they were not gone for too long until they both came sprinting back with pale faces.  
“It’s Prince Yuchan!” Baekhyun gasped.  
“And other vampires!” Chanyeol added.  
“What are we going to do? We can’t tell them Jongdae disappeared!” Sehun said frantically.

Despite his worry and fear, Minseok felt a sense of responsibility. He pushed away all the unpleasant memeories of Prince Yuchan and the awful feeling of being around him.  
“Baekhyun, I’m sorry to say this but you’re basically the head servant,” he said and Baekhyun pulled a face. “You have to tell him Jongdae isn’t here. Just say he’s away on personal business or something.”

Baekhyun looked very reluctant and his mouth was more downturned than usual as he looked at Minseok with wide eyes.  
“I’m right here and I’ll watch from the window. Nothing will happen to you,” he said reassuringly even though he could not guarantee anything. He just wanted to avoid the prospect of Prince Yuchan kicking down the gates because it seemed very likely.  
“I’ll go with,” Sehun said though his voice trembled slightly. “He can’t stare us both down at the same time.”  
Baekhyun smiled though he still looked rather scared and he and Sehun made to leave the kitchen. Minseok followed, with Junmyeon, Kyungsoo, and Chanyeol close behind, and they crept into the foyer and crowded by the window. Baekhyun and Sehun stepped out the front door and a bitterly cold gust of wind blew inside for a moment.

Minseok made sure there was no light in the foyer that would show their faces and he pulled back the curtain only by an inch and peered out through the window. His pulse quickened when he saw the group of vampires standing behind the gate, their eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. It was not snowing but there was a howling wind that made the leafless trees sway eerily in the garden.

The two boys approached and Minseok noticed how Baekhyun subtly moved his hand to make Sehun stay a foot behind him. Minseok watched as they spoke to the vampires and he felt anxious as their faces turned into scowls. He noticed that Yuchan’s eyes kept glancing up at the house, narrowed and suspicious. One of the other vampires spoke, his mouth moving quickly as he looked rather annoyed, but Baekhyun merely shook his head in response. Yuchan glanced up at the house again and even though he was not looking directly at Minseok he could almost feel the intensity of his gaze. He said something and then suddenly he reached through the bars of the gate and grabbed a handful of Baekhyun’s shirt and pulled him close.

“No! Minseok don’t!”

Minseok did not hear Junmyeon’s cry because he already tore himself from the window and hurtled out the front door and into the garden. Adrenaline spiked through his veins and his heart pounded in his ear as he sprinted down to the gate.

“Leave him alone!” he barked in a harsh voice that he did not know he possessed.

There was a collective bout of gasps and Yuchan turned his eyes onto Minseok. The malice was palpable and although it threatened to make Minseok double over he stood his ground.

“You!” the prince gasped with his eyes wide in a mixture of horror and revulsion.  
“I said let him go,” Minseok said. Yuchan released his grip, most likely out of pure shock, and Baekhyun and Sehun scrambled away from the vampires. Minseok moved to stand in front of them and he glared at Yuchan. As he glared at him, his blood boiling in his veins out of pure anger, he felt the strong malice of Yuchan’s glare lessen.

“Who are you? Where is Prince Jongdae?” one of the vampires asked curtly. “He sent word to say that he’s going abroad, but _he_ says that he’s already left!” He said with a gesture at Baekhyun, who shrank slightly from his glare.  
“He cannot go abroad due to his duties,” another vampire said in an evident tone of displeasure. “It is against the law.”  
Minseok did not notice their words for a moment because he could not tear his gaze away from Yuchan’s. He was utterly livid and his face was twisted in a scowl so awful that neither Baekhyun nor Sehun could look in his direction. A small part of Minseok wanted to run away and hide himself from Yuchan’s glare, but a bigger part of him accepted his challenge and refused to stand down.

“Prince Jongdae has left,” Minseok finally said. “We don’t know where he went either, so there’s no use interrogating any of us.”  
“What do you mean you don’t know?” someone barked angrily. Minseok maintained his eye-contact with Yuchan.  
“We don’t know,” he repeated in a hard voice. “The Master does not tell his servants everything, you know.”

At his words the vampires muttered amongst themselves but Yuchan could not handle it anymore. He gripped the bars of the gates and his eyes widened in a look of pure rage.  
“You bastard!” he snapped. “He turned you, didn’t he? Where is he?! I’m going to rip off his head!”

There was a moment of tense silence only punctuated by the howling wind, and the other vampires looked at Minseok with expressions of pure horror and revulsion.  
“You’re a fledgling?!”  
“Prince Jongdae turned you?!”

They erupted into incoherent shouts and gasps but Yuchan remained glaring at Minseok.  
“Minseok…let’s go,” Sehun whispered fearfully but then the prince turned his gaze on him.  
“You’re not going anywhere!” he growled and Sehun gasped. Minseok moved to shield him from his glare.  
“Arrest him immediately!” one of the vampires cried. “This is an outrage!”

Yuchan shook the bars of the gates threateningly and although they were strong and carved out of hard iron they rattled in an unsettling way. Minseok felt his pulse increase and he heard the same happen to Baekhyun and Sehun. He did not want Yuchan to break down the gates because it could put the others at risk. Minseok did not know what to do and he suddenly felt fearful, his angry courage rapidly leaving him and he felt vulnerable. There was only a gate separating him from a group of angry vampires. 

Then he heard something like a small whimper from Sehun when the gates made a creaking sound as though the iron was starting to weaken under Yuchan’s monstrous grip. Minseok gritted his teeth.

“I’ll give myself over,” he said loudly. “Just leave them alone and stay off this property.”  
“No, Minseok!” Baekhyun cried and he grabbed his arm desperately but Minseok ignored him.  
“Fine. You have five minutes, _five minutes_ , and if you take any longer I will tear down these gates,” Yuchan muttered.

Minseok wasted no time and turned to go back to the house and he pulled Baekhyun and Sehun with him. His mind was racing now but he knew what he had to do.  
“What are you thinking?” Baekhyun cried but Minseok ignored him because he did not want to test Yuchan’s patience. He burst into the house, ignored everyone’s gasps and questions and grabbed Junmyeon by the shoulders and looked at him imploringly.  
“Junmyeon you have to find Jongin,” Minseok said. “Please, you know where he lives. Take Yixing with you. They’re probably going to put me on trial or something but if Jongin can speak up about it then they’ll know Jongdae only turned me to save my life!”

Junmyeon gaped at him wordlessly, frozen in shock, but Minseok had no time to waste. He pulled him in for a quick hug before he darted into the kitchen to pull on his old pair of boots and then he hurried back through foyer and past his bewildered friends. He saw tears in Sehun’s eyes as he passed but he was unable to do or say anything. He walked through the front door and out into the cold. He heard his friends’ anguished voices echoing in the house behind him but he willed himself to keep moving to the gate where the vampires waited in an angry silence. He unlocked it and made sure to lock it securely again once he was on the other side. He had barely pocketed his key when Yuchan grabbed his arms in a painful hold.

“I’ll die before I let a fledgling walk free, mark my words,” Yuchan muttered darkly as he yanked Minseok down the slope with the group. Now that Minseok was alone with the vampires he thought he should feel more afraid but somehow he wasn’t. He supposed he was in some state of shock as he was shoved into the backseat of a luxury car because he was not even trembling. All he thought of was the fact that Yuchan had tried to harm Baekhyun and he clenched his fists in his lap.

It would have been silent in the car if it were not for Yuchan’s angry mutterings. He sat in the front seat beside the human driver who also gave Minseok a shocked glance once Yuchan mentioned that he was a fledgling. Minseok knew that he should be quaking in fear at being in the same space as him but somehow he felt braver than before. He just stared out the window as the car moved through the city.

“Disgusting…sickening,” Yuchan grumbled. “If it wasn’t for the others I would have killed you myself.”  
Minseok certainly believed him and yet it did not strike that much fear into his heart. He was very surprised at his newfound courage but he did not question it in case it suddenly vanished.

But he felt it starting to dissipate when he noticed that they were not heading in the direction of the city centre police station. Instead they were heading to the outskirts near one of the residential areas that consisted of sprawling manors. The other vampires were close behind in their own cars but Minseok was confused. The car arrived at a manor nearly twice the size of Jongdae’s. It was not enclosed by tall walls or a gate but was rather surrounded by well-kept trees and hedges. When the car stopped Yuchan pulled Minseok out the car by his collar and he glanced up at the house with a sense of foreboding.

“Why aren’t you taking me to the police?” he asked. “You said you were arresting me.”  
“Shut up,” Yuchan grumbled. He dragged him up the steps to the front door and Minseok was barely able to keep up with his strides. The other vampires followed and their expressions ranged from scandalised to disgust.

The house was awfully cold and dark when they entered. Everything about it was harsh and dark, from the architecture to the décor and it made Minseok feel more anxious by the minute as he was dragged down a corridor. He barely had time to take in the layout of the house before he was shoved through a small door in the floor and down a flight of stairs into a wide cellar. It was so cold that his breath misted in front of him. Without warning Yuchan shoved him to the cold cement ground and they gathered around to glare at him.

“What caused this? Why were you turned?” one of the vampires asked. Yuchan looked as though he hardly cared for reasons and excuses.  
“I was attacked,” Minseok said quickly. The realisation that he was about to be imprisoned in Yuchan’s cellar was dawning on him and he felt fearful. “It must have been more than a week ago, I can’t remember. But I nearly died and Jongdae turned me – “  
He was cut off by a slap across the face.  
“Have some respect when you speak of your betters. Though I don’t even know if he’ll still be a prince once we’re through with this,” Yuchan muttered.  
“Why would Prince Jongdae waste his time on you?” a vampire asked with narrowed eyes. “What are you to him?”

Minseok gulped but his throat felt dry and he hardly noticed the pain in his cheek. Yuchan turned his eyes on him but something glinted within that made him feel uneasy.  
“He’s his cleaner,” he muttered as though it were a vulgar word. “I found him once in the house, but Jongdae got very upset with me when I touched him…”

Yuchan’s words trailed off and his eyes widened in realisation. He stared at Minseok with a new look of horror and his lip curled up to reveal a snarl.  
“That time I saw you at the factory you smelt strange, but now it makes sense,” he muttered. “Prince Jongdae has taken a special liking to you, hasn’t he?”

There was a bout of scandalised murmurings and Minseok looked away and his heart pounded frantically but Yuchan grabbed his face and forced him to meet his burning eyes.  
“He’s despicable,” he muttered. “He only turned you for his own desires.”  
Despite his fear Minseok knew that he had some courage. He had been able to withstand Yuchan’s gaze and malicious intent without the same effects that he had felt on other occasions. The way he spoke about Jongdae and the way he said his name gave Minseok another surge of courage and he scowled.  
“He did it to save me!” Minseok shouted and Yuchan tightened his grip on his jaw so that it hurt but he forced himself not to wince.  
“What proof do you have of any of this?” he asked.  
“A boy helped me!” Minseok said and now he looked at the other vampires imploringly. “He was there!”   
“You can save it for the trial with the Council,” someone muttered. “Prince Jongdae is involved with a human cleaner? You’re certain he’s a fledgling, Prince Yuchan?”

Yuchan’s eyes darkened.  
“Oh, yes. I remember him as a human. He smelt so delicious, but now he’s ruined,” he said and he shoved Minseok away from him. He stumbled back onto his hands and just managed to stop himself from falling onto his back.

“Have you drunk yet?” a vampire asked with the tone that someone would use when shouting at a dog.  
“Not from a human,” Minseok muttered.  
“Then from who?”  
“Jongdae…”  
“It’s _Prince_ Jongdae,” Yuchan growled and he raised his hand to strike Minseok but stopped and pulled a face. “I’ve had enough of this. If you try to escape let me assure you that you won’t make it very far.”

Minseok did not look at him as he left with the other vampires. The cellar doors slammed shut, followed by the sound of heavy locks, and Minseok was enshrouded in darkness. It was largely empty save for a few crates that contained bottles of blood and Minseok felt his hatred for Yuchan increase.

He moved to the corner of the room so that he could draw his knees to his chest and lean against the wall. He reached to grab onto the moon pendant around his neck but when he clutched at empty air he remembered that it was broken and left beside Jongdae’s bed. Minseok willed himself not to think of Jongdae in that moment. He could not afford to be afraid and emotional in such a place. All he could do was trust that Junmyeon would find Jongin. He did not even know if he and Jongdae would be pardoned in the trial but it was his only hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays, everyone ⌒(•ㅅ•)⌒♥✿


	11. Chapter 11

Minseok desperately tried to stay awake because he could not afford to be vulnerable in any way. No matter how his eyelids drooped or how his head lolled down onto his chest he pinched his leg to keep himself awake and remained sitting up stiffly against the cold stone wall. He had a small sense of comfort knowing that Junmyeon and his friends were safe back at the manor, but he had to resign himself to the fact that Jongdae was unreachable. He knew that had a newfound sense of courage in Yuchan’s presence and it gave him a small sense of hope and somehow he knew that no matter what happened he would be alright. The unnatural sense of fear that Yuchan made him feel in the past was gone now and Minseok supposed that it was because he was a vampire and he was somehow able to overcome it.

He did not know how many hours had passed when Prince Yuchan returned to the cellar, this time alone. Minseok scrambled to his feet and forced his exhaustion away as Yuchan marched over to him and stood so alarmingly close that his tall form almost bent over Minseok.

“Where is Jongdae? You should know where your master is,” he said in a cold voice. His previous rage had disappeared and was replaced with a sense of dark disdain that made Minseok feel uneasy. But he detested the way the prince spoke about Jongdae. He hated it so much that it made his blood boil.  
“He is not my master,” he said defiantly. Yuchan’s eyes widened with a revolted grimace that overcame his face and he suddenly grabbed Minseok’s collar. His fisted knuckles dug hard into his neck and it was uncomfortable but Minseok did not allow himself to wince or show any sign of fear.  
“You don’t know your place,” he muttered. “You were so scared that evening when I first found you…now you make me so angry. I detest Jongdae but I think I’m starting to hate you more.”

Minseok remained glaring at him but bit back his words because he knew that a retort would only anger him more.  
“I wonder if you know that your dear master is not even a real vampire,” he said slowly in a voice laced with contempt and the grip on his shirt collar tightened. “He used to be human scum like you once were, so that makes you even less than scum.”  
“I don’t care what you or anyone else think,” Minseok spat, his temper rising.  
Rage flashed through Yuchan’s eyes and he released his grip on Minseok’s collar to hit his face. The impact made Minseok stumble but he did not lose his footing and he met Yuchan’s furious gaze.  
“Where is Jongdae?” he barked. “He must be nearby if you’re being so brave! You dare to speak back to me? Don’t you remember how I used to make you tremble with fear?”

Suddenly the cellar swam before Minseok’s eyes and his vision blurred so that all he could see was Yuchan and his terrible glowing eyes. Snarls and growls echoed in his ears and it made his hair stand on end and a bolt of fear surged through him. Yuchan’s face was contorted into a monstrous scowl, his features grotesque and terrifying and eyes burnt with blood and hate and Minseok could not tear his eyes away from the sight.

But it was all familiar. He recognised the growls and the oppressive weight pressing down on his shoulders as that from his dream and then he knew that none of it was real. He forced his eyes shut and he felt his mind reaching out beyond that dark oppressive space. There was a tugging feeling in his chest and he felt it growing stronger until his mind’s eye saw a bright white moon, nearly blindingly bright and a wave of calm overcame his being.

“Minseok?”

It was Jongdae’s voice, soft and concerned. Minseok almost breathed a sigh of relief until he felt a sudden pain in his body and he was dragged back to reality in the cellar. Yuchan pushed him over onto the hard floor but the vision was gone. He lunged forward and wrapped his hands around Minseok’s throat and the full weight of his body kept him pinned to the floor.

“So now you can overcome my powers? Did Jongdae teach you? Did your dear master teach you?” His words came out in a feral growl, laced with rage and his eyes burnt into Minseok’s skull. Minseok could only gasp and splutter in an attempt to breathe and he grabbed onto Yuchan’s hands to try and pry them off his throat but he held on with a monstrous strength.  
“Where is he?” Yuchan shouted through gritted teeth.  
“I don’t know!” Minseok gasped. “I swear! He just left!”

Yuchan did not look convinced and for a second Minseok worried that he really was going to strangle him to death when all of a sudden he stopped and got up. Minseok gasped for air but Yuchan dragged him to his feet by his collar.

“If I kill you I won’t get away with it,” he muttered scornfully. “It’s time for your trial anyway.” 

He dragged Minseok out the cellar and he stumbled up the stairs and fell and his knees and shins collided painfully with the stone. Yuchan hardly cared that he struggled to keep up and he just yanked him up and dragged him through the door. Minseok squinted in the sudden light and he was forced out of the house. It was daytime and the onslaught of sunlight prickled his skin and he winced in discomfort. Yuchan shoved him into the car and it quickly sped off.

Minseok sat hunched over while pressing his hands against his stinging eyes. His face and body hurt from Yuchan’s violence and he felt a wave of exhaustion overcome him. He tried to think back to the sight of the white moon and the sound of Jongdae’s voice. That had been a type of waking vision and not a dream, Minseok was sure of it. He knew that he had somehow reached out to Jongdae and that Jongdae had sensed him too. He desperately held onto the memory of it even though it had been far too brief.

The car came to a stop and Minseok glanced up and squinted in the brightness. He saw that they were in the city centre outside the Vampire Council Chambers, a massive dark stone building that towered up high in the city. The door opened and two uniformed vampires immediately appeared and grabbed him by the arms and pulled him out the car.

“Make sure to restrain him,” Yuchan said as he stepped out the car with a flourish of his black cloak. “These fledglings are unpredictable.”

Minseok felt the obvious waves of hatred radiating from the guards and it did nothing to make him feel less worried. He barely had time to glimpse the outside of the massive building before they ushered him up the stone stairs and into a dark marbled foyer. The inside was as grand as Minseok would expect but he was quickly taken through the dark winding corridors and down the stairs into an underground level. It was incredibly chilly and the air bit through his thin clothing and made him shiver. Yuchan had since disappeared but he was the furthest thing from Minseok’s mind because he realised that now was the time for his trial with the Council. He felt his heart beating frantically as the guards took him through a door and he entered a high-ceilinged courtroom that was full of vampires. They sat at benches arranged like a small amphitheatre, and at the front sat senior Council members. In the centre of the room there was a raised circular area dedicated for whoever they were to address. Minseok realised that he would have to stand there and he felt afraid.

The guards forced him down into a nearby seat and he suddenly felt very small. He could feel everyone’s red eyes on him and he could not bear to look up to meet anyone’s gaze. A hush fell over the murmuring vampires upon his entrance into the room and the contempt was palpable.

One of the elder members stood up and everyone turned their eyes to him. Despite being ageless it was evident that he was incredibly old.  
“We must convene this emergency gathering of the Council due to the sudden discovery of a fledgling,” he said, resulting in a bout of murmurings. “It has been brought to the Council’s attention that this man,” he said as he gestured to Minseok and he shrank in his seat, “was turned by Prince Kim Jongdae. The Prince has apparently disappeared without a trace.”

Now the murmurings grew louder with obvious dissent and Minseok saw many scandalised faces. Jongdae was already unpopular and now it was worsening.

“The purpose of such a trial is to sentence the vampire who breaks the highest law by turning a human,” he continued. “As well as to detain the fledgling and keep them under strict supervision until they are deemed suitable for society. However, seeing as Prince Kim Jongdae is not even here to defend his actions there is little need for a full trial.”

Minseok felt his heart sink. They were going to detain him, take him away and lock him up in some godforsaken place and he knew very well that they had no plans of letting him out ever again. They weren’t even going to give him a chance to speak or explain what happened because his word as a fledgling was useless. They probably thought that he would defend Jongdae’s actions and defend his master obstinately and refuse to hear anything against him.

“Therefore – “   
“Wait!”

The sound of Yixing’s voice made Minseok gasp, though he was unheard over the loud mutterings and exclamations of the vampires as Yixing pushed his way into the room, he looked very grave and was dressed in his red and black military uniform to signify that he was an ambassador. But Minseok was most astonished to see Jongin standing behind Yixing. He looked sickly and he kept his eyes on the floor. The Council elder who spoke narrowed his eyes at Yixing.

“Ambassador Zhang, what is this? Who is this human?”  
Yixing bowed politely but his frown deepened.  
“Although it is not my place to become involved with such matters, I refuse to turn a blind eye. I am well acquainted with Prince Jongdae, though I do not know where he has gone, and I refuse to believe that he would just break one of the highest laws without good reason. The Council cannot deny this fledgling a trial when there is a witness.”  
“What witness? Prince Jongdae has disappeared!” Yuchan shouted from his seat on the bench.  
Yixing narrowed his eyes at him but turned to put a hand on Jongin’s shoulder.  
“This boy saw it all happen and he can prove that this turning was only an act of trying to save the fledgling’s life,” he said. “Prince Jongdae only did it because he was dying. The Council cannot mark this as a crime.”

Now the mutterings died down and many of the vampires looked genuinely confused. While some still looked scandalised and shook their heads at Yixing’s words, others turned to look at the elder members. The one who stood narrowed his eyes but his expression was unreadable.

“Well, then, let this boy step forward and explain himself,” he said after a moment.

Yixing gently nudged Jongin and he took a small step away from him. He looked as though he would pass out at any moment and Minseok did not blame him because the vampires all stared at him intently.

“I – I saw Minseok get attacked,” he stammered. “It was an anti-vampire group. They stabbed him and – and I ran to Prince Jongdae for help because he was dying.”  
“Who are you? How do you know him and Prince Kim Jongdae?” someone suddenly asked.  
“His name is Kim Jongin and he belongs to me.”

Yuchan had suddenly spoken and it took Minseok a moment to register his words. He stood up from the bench and Jongin’s eyes widened in fear.  
“What do you mean?” Yixing said sharply. “He is not from your blood patron clan. You cannot just own human beings – “  
“Actually, his parents had an old agreement with my household. Upon their deaths they assigned him as my ward,” Yuchan said over Yixing as he stared at Jongin. “So once this trial ends I am requesting to take him with me. I see that I can’t allow him to run around unsupervised anymore.”

There was a tense silence in the courtroom. Yixing scowled openly at Yuchan but Jongin looked absolutely petrified. Minseok felt worry coiling in his stomach, more for Jongin’s sake than for his own.

“Alright, seeing as he is your ward you can do as you wish with him,” the elder vampire said dismissively. “But first let us hear his account of this turning.” He looked at Jongin expectantly and Yixing had to nudge the boy again to get him to speak.

He stammered as he explained how he was involved with an anti-vampire group from the factory and Minseok listened with growing shock because Jongin had been made to follow Minseok for weeks. He had constantly reported back to the group about Minseok’s movements and where he went after leaving the factory. Jongin would wait outside Jongdae’s house for the entire night until Minseok left, no matter how late, and then he would watch him leave. While Minseok felt a surge of pity for the boy, as he knew that he had most likely been forced into doing everything, he wished he had somehow lied because the vampires looked incredibly displeased to hear that he was involved with an anti-vampire group. By the end of his account Jongin was nearly in tears. He did not look in Minseok’s direction at all while speaking and he kept his head bowed.

“They stabbed him,” he said with a deep breath, “and I went to get Prince Jongdae because I couldn’t help him. I – I couldn’t just let him die there.”  
Minseok heard the sincerity in his words and then Jongin turned to meet his eyes. Minseok tried to silently convey to him that he did not blame him for the attack and that he had forgiven him, but he looked away quickly. The Council muttered amongst themselves and Yixing looked grave. Finally the elder member stood up again.

“Your story may be true, boy,” he said and Minseok felt dread welling up inside him, “but without a statement from Prince Jongdae we cannot confirm this.”  
“Please give him time to come back!” Jongin suddenly said in a strong voice despite his watery eyes and his trembling hands.  
“Do not speak out of turn,” a vampire barked. “You will do well to remember your place in here.”

Minseok scowled, sharing his expression with Yixing, and Jongin cowered slightly.  
“We have decided that Prince Jongdae has two days to return. If he does not then we have no choice but to detain the fledgling. It had been agreed that he will remain in the custody of Prince Yuchan considering that he captured him.”

Minseok withheld a sound of dissent but it was too late. The guards returned to pull him to his feet and the Council all started to get up and leave. Minseok met Yixing’s eyes and he tried to convey his desperation to him but the vampire merely shook his head in defeat and he looked very distressed. Minseok knew that Yixing was already putting his job at risk by bringing Jongin to the trial so he should not expect any more help from him.

The guards took him out the building and back to the car and it was not long until Jongin was also brought there and pushed into the seat beside him. He seemed alarmed when he noticed Minseok and he tried to make himself as small as possible.

“Jongin, it’s alright,” he said quickly. “I don’t blame you for any of this.”

Jongin seemed surprised and he glanced up with wide eyes. But before he could speak Yuchan suddenly appeared in the car and he had an awfully smug look on his face that made Minseok feel uneasy.  
“I’m disappointed in you, Jongin,” he said. “Getting involved with anti-vampire groups despite how your parents gave you up to me.”  
Jongin shrank in his seat and kept his eyes on his lap. Minseok felt a desire to protect the boy but he knew that there was nothing he could do. They were both now forced into being nothing short of prisoners under Yuchan.

Minseok dreaded returning to the house now because it truly felt as though all hope was lost. If even Yixing could do nothing, and Jongin’s account proved to be useless, then what hope did Minseok have? As he and Jongin were both dragged to the cellar by Yuchan he felt every ounce of courage leave him and a sense of anxious despair taking over his being.

“Two days,” Yuchan scoffed. “If Jongdae has really disappeared abroad then he won’t be able to get back in so quickly because he’ll be arrested at the border for neglecting his duties,” he said with a cruel smile. “I suggest you get used to it in here, Jongin.”

He left them in the dark cellar and as soon as he was gone Minseok turned to face Jongin.

“Did Junmyeon find you?” he asked. Jongin nodded but he did not meet Minseok’s gaze.  
“He and the ambassador…” he said softly. “This is my fault. If I had – if I had never followed you then this never would have happened. If I never got involved with those people…”

He started to cry and Minseok felt a surge of pity for him.  
“Jongin, you just made a mistake,” he said gently. “I don’t blame you at all. If I’m being honest it was a matter of time before someone found out about Jongdae and me anyway. Those men hated me so much so it was a wonder that they had not already attacked me. I forgive you, Jongin. Please don’t be harsh on yourself.”

The boy sank down to the floor and cried quietly. Minseok knew that he was inconsolable and that he could not do anything for him other than sit down beside him and let him cry. It took him a while to calm down and then Minseok noticed that he was shivering due to the coldness of the cellar. He shrugged off his coat, though it wasn’t the warmest, and he draped it across Jongin’s hunched shoulders and he sat up.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how is it that you’re Yuchan’s ward?” Minseok asked quietly. Jongin nearly shuddered at his name and he remained staring at the floor.  
“My parents used to be business owners,” he muttered. “But they got into a lot of debt with him…he promised to help them if he could take me as his ward. You know that he has shares in the factory so he made me work there to keep me busy.”  
“But why? What does he want with you?” Minseok asked though he already had a horrible sense of the reason. Jongin glanced up at him with wide eyes.  
“He said he wants to drink my blood,” he said in a whisper. “Whenever he looks at me I feel as though I’m going to die. Even – even the first time he saw me he said he wanted my blood. I’m so scared of him.”

Minseok placed his hand on his arm to try and comfort him but he was rather horrified at the notion that someone as young as Jongin had been terrified by Yuchan.  
“I know how you feel,” he said softly. “He has that effect on people…”

Silence fell over them and Minseok desperately tried to think of what they were going to do. He doubted that they could even do anything other than pray for Jongdae’s miraculous return. The thought of being confined to the cellar for two days of desperate waiting made Minseok anxious. He doubted that Yuchan would just leave them there and he knew that he would definitely come down to torment Jongin. They could not hope to escape either as they hardly knew the layout of the house and did not even know how to escape.

“Minseok…I think I know what we can do,” Jongin said after a while, bringing Minseok out of his worried thoughts.  
“What?” he asked. “I feel like all we can do is wait for Jongdae.”  
Jongin shook his head.  
“I can’t bear the thought of waiting here for two days,” he said. “But…I think I know what I can do.”  
Minseok raised his eyebrows. Jongin wiped his eyes and took a deep breath and steadied his voice.  
“I can offer my blood to Yuchan,” Jongin said and Minseok stared at him in shock. “He’ll be distracted, won’t he? Then you can get out.”  
“What about you? Jongin that’s insane,” Minseok stammered. He was shocked by the boy’s words but he shook his head adamantly with a resigned look on his young wearied face. Although he was the same age as Sehun there was a look in his eyes that betrayed the trauma he had experienced in his life.  
“It’s all I can think of. I have to help you, Minseok. It’s the only way,” he muttered.  
“I’m not going to leave you here if that’s what you think,” Minseok said sharply and Jongin looked as though he was about to argue. “No, Jongin. I’ve already forgiven you. Even drinking your blood is too dangerous – “  
“It’s the only way to distract him,” Jongin interjected. “What else can we do?”

Minseok glanced away for a moment to try and gather his thoughts. Although Jongin seemed ready to give his blood to Yuchan he knew that the boy hardly knew anything of the matter. A vampire like Yuchan undoubtedly disregarded the intimacies and traditions of it and it seemed more likely that he would hurt Jongin. Minseok knew that it would be very risky to attempt to escape in the midst of Yuchan drinking Jongin’s blood, and he refused to leave him behind.

“Maybe…I don’t know. I can hit him over the head or something?” Minseok said slowly, running his hands through his matted hair. “And then we can both miraculously get out alive.”  
“You have a better chance leaving me,” Jongin said but Minseok shot him a look that made him shut his mouth.  
“I’ll drag you out if I have to,” he said. Jongin showed no further signs of arguing and slouched against the wall with his knees drawn to his chest.

“Fine,” he said after a while. “You can try to attack him if you want.” He sounded rather tired and defeated and Minseok knew that he would not argue further.   
“You should rest, then,” he said. “I’ll watch over you, Jongin.”  
Jongin hesitated for a moment before he moved to lay down on the cold hard floor, still with Minseok’s coat draped over his shoulders and in that moment the weariness faded from his face and he looked like a sixteen-year-old boy again.  
“Thank you, Minseok,” he mumbled, his words muffled by his shirt as he pulled the collar up over his face. Minseok gave him a small smile and nodded, glad that the boy had finally accepted his forgiveness.

Jongin fell asleep quickly and Minseok watched him for a bit. Now that he was able to get a proper look at him it was evident that he did not belong in the poor industrial sector of the city. Jongin had only started working at the factory a few months ago, meaning that it had not been long since his parents’ deaths and the realisation saddened Minseok. He saw a part of himself in Jongin as he had been the same age when he started working at the factory. He could barely imagine the torment the boy had gone through under the malicious gaze of Yuchan and he felt a surge of affection for him. He was afraid for the uncertainty of their future but Minseok promised that he would do everything to protect Jongin.

He slept for a few hours while Minseok forced himself to stay awake by sitting up straight against the wall. He was utterly exhausted but his worry kept him wide awake. Occasionally he would start to drift off, and he was sure that his vision would swim before his eyes in an unsettling way before he could pinch himself. He thought back to the altercation with Yuchan where he had heard Jongdae’s voice in his strange waking dream. He secretly longed to return to that place with the hopes of hearing him again and possibly seeing him, but he could not afford to sleep and leave Jongin alone.

When Minseok heard the cellar doors being wrenched open he jumped and shook Jongin awake. As expected, it was Yuchan and when he emerged from the shadows Jongin moved closer to Minseok. He regarded both of them with a look of disdain though Minseok glared back defiantly.

“Jongin, the time has finally come for me to drink your blood,” he said with a smirk. Minseok panicked for a second. Jongin shared his shocked expression and did not bother to hide his fear by moving to stand behind Minseok even though he was taller than him.  
“What do you mean?” Minseok asked. “You can’t just forcibly drink from him!”  
“Actually, I can do whatever I want,” Yuchan said and his smirk extended into an awful grin and his teeth glinted in the dimness. Minseok realised that the sight must have been far more horrifying for Jongin due to the sheer darkness of the cellar. Minseok desperately looked around for something he could use as a weapon but there was nothing.

Yuchan pushed him aside and grabbed Jongin’s arm and he cried out in fear.  
“No! Leave him alone!” Minseok shouted and he tried to pull the boy away from him but Yuchan pushed him away and slammed him into the stone wall while still maintaining a tight grip on Jongin. Minseok winced from the impact against the wall and for a moment he thought that Yuchan was going to hit him so he braced himself. But he lowered his hand and narrowed his eyes at Minseok.

“No…I think I should do it here, actually,” he said slowly. “You have yet to drink from a human, so you must be terribly starving. I’m sure the smell of Jongin’s blood will drive you mad.”  
Minseok stared in horror as Yuchan pulled Jongin towards him by his arm and grabbed a handful of his hair to wrench his head to the side and lunged at his throat. Jongin’s strangled scream echoed in the cellar and Minseok could only watch in helpless horror as Yuchan drank from the boy. He was rough and callous as he drank with deep animalistic gulps and twisted Jongin’s arm away at a painful angle when he made a feeble attempt to resist.

The scent of Jongin’s blood suddenly hit Minseok with such a force that he nearly lost his footing. He was able to differentiate it from the memory of Junmyeon and Jongdae’s blood, but it was still overwhelmingly enticing and sweet to his senses. He gritted his teeth and tried to force away his hunger, desperately trying to control himself and his senses. Jongin’s feeble cry brought Minseok out of his overwhelming hunger and he overlooked it because he was in pain. Tears spilled from his eyes and he was helpless in Yuchan’s grasp and the sight turned Minseok’s blood cold and his hunger was forgotten.

Yuchan pulled away with a rasping gasp and Jongin fell from his grip in a heap on the floor. Minseok rushed over to him but Yuchan pushed him so hard that he fell over. He stood between him and Jongin and glared at him, his chest heaving, and his eyes glinted darkly.

“If you touch his blood I’ll kill you,” he growled. “He’s _mine_.”  
Yuchan’s monstrous aggression and the sight of Jongin lying on the floor, trembling and bleeding, sent a surge of rage through Minseok. Like the spark of a flame it coursed through his veins and he suddenly jumped to his feet and lunged at Yuchan.

Minseok took Yuchan by surprise, but he did not have the strength or size to overpower him. Yuchan fought back against him with a vicious aggression that matched Minseok’s sudden rage. Even though he was far smaller than Yuchan, Minseok clawed and hit back at him relentlessly without giving him a chance to get the upper hand. He hit him hard in the face but Yuchan grabbed his hand and wrenched his arm away.

“I’m going to kill you!” he screamed as he forced Minseok to the floor and wrapped his hands around his throat. Minseok kicked at him but his weight overpowered him and he couldn’t breathe. Yuchan’s face contorted in a monstrous scowl and Minseok gasped for breath as his fingers tightened around his throat.  
“Actually,” he rasped, “I have a better use for you. You may be a ruined fledgling, but your blood still smells _sweet_.”

He moved his hands from Minseok’s throat to grip either side of his face in a grip so painfully tight that Minseok thought he was going to crush his skull between his hands. Yuchan bared his teeth in a grimace and lunged at Minseok’s throat. His teeth tore at his skin and Minseok screamed, flailing his arms desperately to try and hit at every bit of Yuchan he could reach to free himself. He pushed against his chest, though he could not move him, and his hand brushed against something cold and sharp on Yuchan’s chest. It was a brooch and Minseok fumbled for a second before he ripped it from the cloak and shoved the sharp pin into Yuchan’s neck.

He tore himself away from Minseok but Minseok hooked an arm around him and used all his strength to turn him over so that he pushed his weight on him and plunged the pin into his neck again and again and again before Yuchan could get a chance to grab his arm. Blood gushed from the stab wounds and when Yuchan tried to fight back Minseok stabbed the pin through his hand. Yuchan howled in pain, bleeding profusely and Minseok was frozen for a moment of shock. He quickly gathered his wits and scrambled off him and hauled Jongin to his feet. Minseok was bleeding from where Yuchan had bitten his throat but Jongin’s wounds were worse so he forgot his own discomfort because they just had to get away. Yuchan writhed on the floor as blood gushed from his wounds and he tried to get up but Minseok did not spare him a second glance as he pulled Jongin to the stairs.

“Minseok,” he gasped, clutching to his bleeding neck. “I can’t – I’m bleeding – “  
“It’s fine, Jongin!” he said urgently. “You’ll be fine! We just need to get out!”  
They hurtled up the stairs and burst through the double doors into a bright room. Minseok squinted from the light but he did not stop and he only held onto Jongin tighter when he heard Yuchan’s strangled screams echoing from the cellar. They pushed past a few human servants but they were too bewildered to attempt to stop them. Minseok did not even know if he was willing to fight them if they intervened so he moved faster to the point where he was nearly dragging Jongin.

He just followed his gut instinct through the maze of dark passages until they came out into the foyer and Minseok burst through the door. It was still the middle of the day but Minseok did not even stop to shield his eyes from the sunlight even though it stung his eyes and his skin. Although Jongin was bleeding quite a lot he held his hand to his neck and sprinted after Minseok down the street. He was just able to keep up with Minseok and if it wasn’t for his tight grip on his hand he would fall behind. Minseok heard shouts echoing behind them and people stared at them as they passed but he did not stop. He prayed that there were no vampires out at the moment because they would notice the scent of their blood and then they would definitely call the police. Minseok had no idea what area of the city they were in but all he knew was that they had to get as far away as possible.

“Minseok, I can’t breathe,” Jongin panted. Minseok glanced around desperately until he saw a small narrow alleyway and he pulled Jongin towards it. They crouched behind a pile of crates and Jongin fell back onto the cobblestones. His face was deathly white and he was breathing heavily. He pulled his bloodied hand away from his neck and Minseok gasped at the sight of the bite marks, jagged and red and he felt at his own. Yuchan had only drank from him for a brief moment so his did not bleed as much but they were also like small rips in his skin instead of clean bites. He quickly tore off a strip of material from his cotton shirt and wrapped it around Jongin’s neck. He trembled slightly but his breathing was still even so Minseok was not too worried.

“It’s okay, Jongin,” he said though his own voice shook from exertion. “You’ll be fine, it’s not that much blood. Just breathe slowly.”  
“Did – did you kill him?” Jongin asked in a whisper. Minseok shook his head.  
“I doubt something like that could kill him,” he muttered and he felt at the dried blood on his neck. “Do you feel a bit better? I don’t think we should linger here.”  
Jongin stood up very slowly and he held onto Minseok for support. He now felt that all the adrenaline was gone from his body and knew that they definitely could not run at the same pace now as they crept out the alley into a side street. He could hear some commotion not too far off and he guessed that it was people looking for him and Jongin.

Minseok had never felt so unsafe in broad daylight before. As it was an area populated by vampires it was eerily quiet during the day. He and Jongin could not hide as they moved through the streets as fast as their bodies would allow in their weak states and the light of the weak winter sun was uncomfortable on Minseok’s skin and eyes. He was sure that they passed a few people but he only saw them out the corner of his eye so he was not entirely sure if they even noticed him. He had no time to stop and dawdle anyway due to the urgency coursing through his veins.

To his utter relief they made it through the city without being apprehended by using side streets and the cover of trees and a shortcut through a park. Jongin’s wound had stopped bleeding but he was unable to walk without stumbling and it was only Minseok’s strong grip on his hand that kept him steady.

Minseok realised that he actually did not know where they were going until they passed the cemetery. The sight of the place made him shudder even though it was the middle of the day and he stopped in his tracks. Minseok realised that his feet had been leading them to the manor, as it was automatically a safe place for him, but now he thought it was foolish to go to the manor. It was the most obvious place they would go, and he would also be placing the others in danger if Yuchan came to look for them. Minseok did not even want to imagine his wrath and the repercussions he would face. Only when Jongin’s hand slipped out of Minseok’s did he realise that he had collapsed and he was shaken out of his anxious reverie.

“Jongin! Are you okay?” he exclaimed as he bent down beside him. He murmured something inaudible in response but Minseok knew that he was too weak to continue. He glanced around fearfully as if Yuchan and an angry mob would appear at the end of the street at any moment. It was a small miracle that no one had seen them as they crept through the streets but now Minseok panicked because he did not even know where they were going.

“I don’t know where to go, Jongin,” Minseok muttered, panic creeping into his being. “I – I don’t know what to do!”

They could not hide amongst vampires because the scent of their blood would be a giveaway and they could not hide amongst humans because they would certainly be hostile to Minseok. He held onto Jongin’s arm and stared at the end of the street in dread as if waiting for Yuchan to appear. If a single person, human or vampire, had to see them then he knew that it would be over. Jongin did not even have the strength to run away. To Minseok’s horror he heard the faint hum of a car engine approaching in the street and his blood froze. In a moment of panic Minseok hauled Jongin up into his arms and dragged him towards the cemetery.

“Jongin, Jongin hurry!” he whispered frantically. “You’re too heavy!” Jongin stumbled in an attempt to regain his footing and he did not even look as though he was fully conscious. Whether it was his fear or his newfound vampire strength, Minseok did not know, he forgot the exhaustion in his body and hoisted Jongin onto his back and gripped onto his legs and hurried through the open gates and into the maze of gravestones.

There was far less cover in the daytime and Minseok desperately tried to forget the memory of the night of his attack. He darted between gravestones and tombs and trees and did not dare to stop. His acute hearing made him aware of the car coming to a stop in the street but he was now too far within the cemetery to be spotted. He came out into the centre of it to find a cloister of mausoleums. He ran over to the nearest one, a small old stone structure, and desperately tugged on the handle of the iron door. To his surprise it actually opened and he wasted no time in getting inside and shutting the door behind him. It was cold inside but the air was not stale due to the small gap in the door and Minseok laid down Jongin on the stone floor with a heavy sigh. It was not very large inside and the walls were lined with tombs and Minseok tried to not think about them. It was incredibly dark except for the faint sliver of sunlight that came in through the gap in the door.

“Minseok…where are we?” he murmured. Minseok peered out the gap in the door and motioned for Jongin to be silent. It was deathly quiet outside and not even a bird could be heard. He held his breath because he was sure he heard something like distant footsteps on the cold hard ground. They were erratic, as if the feet were darting around in a frantic hurry and it made Minseok’s gut coil in fear. Someone was definitely searching for him and Jongin.

“Jongin…someone’s coming,” Minseok whispered. Jongin’s eyes widened in alarm and he seemed to be shaken out of his daze. He opened his mouth to speak but Minseok held up a hand to silence him.  
“Be quiet as possible. I promise I’ll protect you,” he said. He helped Jongin to the far side of the room, in the darkest corner so that he would not initially be seen by anyone if they happened to come inside. Minseok crouched close to him, ready to spring into action if needed. He held his breath in anticipation, praying that they would not be found. He heard the frantic beating of Jongin’s heart and he desperately hoped that it was not a vampire who was searching for them.

It could not possibly be Yuchan as Minseok knew he had wounded him seriously, though not seriously enough to kill him. He only had human servants and they would not have been able to follow Minseok and Jongin through the city. But now the footsteps were coming closer, growing louder and more frantic and Minseok felt his hands tremble at his sides. He had no weapon and regretted not taking the pin, even though that had been a stroke of pure luck.

Thudding outside on the hard ground made him jump and he felt Jongin reach out to grab a handful of his clothing. He saw the shadow of a figure pass by the door, blocking out the meagre light that streamed in and he held his breath. Minseok did not even know what to do but he slowly got to his feet and braced himself to lunge at whoever was standing outside the doors.

“Minseok?”

The quiet yet clear voice made Minseok gasp and then the iron door wrenched open to reveal Jongdae. The pale sun shone behind him to create a type of halo behind his head and his eyes glowed in the dimness. Minseok was frozen in a moment of shock and his lips parted in awe because, yes, it was Jongdae. He was not a figment of imagination – his cheeks were flushed from running and his hair was tousled from the wind and his chest heaved with heavy breaths and his eyes glowed brightly as he stared at Minseok. There was a moment of silence, as if the world had stopped spinning for a moment and Minseok forgot everything around him – the mausoleum, his pained and exhausted body – and all he could focus on was Jongdae.

“Jongdae,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper just in case he was imagining him and his words would make him disappear. But Minseok’s voice and the utterance of Jongdae’s name broke the spell over him and he suddenly rushed forward and pulled Minseok into his arms in a tight embrace. Minseok felt the warmth of Jongdae’s body and the beating of his heart and the softness of his skin against his and he felt his heart swell to the point where it felt as though it would burst. He felt the invisible connection between their hearts, fiery and strong, and he was overwhelmed with burning love.

“Minseok, I – I’m so sorry,” Jongdae exclaimed, pulling away from him but Minseok tightened his grip around his shoulders. “I – the bond – I had to just – “  
“Jongdae, I know, I know,” Minseok said over him. “It’s gone now. I overcame it, but we can talk about it later.” He quickly remembered his and Jongin’s predicament and he knew that they could not just stand around talking inside the mausoleum.  
“I – what happened? Is that blood? Who else is here with you?” Jongdae asked frantically as he noticed Minseok’s wounded neck. He glanced at Jongin on the floor and gasped.  
“It’s a long story but we have to go now,” he said quickly. He pulled away from Jongdae and rushed over to Jongin. “Did you come here in your car?”  
“Yes, I’ll carry him,” Jongdae said and he hoisted Jongin into his arms with ease. Although he was conscious Jongin was bewildered and said nothing to Jongdae.

Minseok led him out the mausoleum and into the cemetery. He could not remember the way which they had come but he just kept walking straight through the rows of tombs and stones until they came out to the entrance. They hurried through the open gates to Jongdae’s car and he carefully laid Jongin across the back seat.

“What happened?” Jongdae asked as soon as he and Minseok climbed into the car. “I haven’t even been gone for that long – “  
“Where did you go?” Minseok interjected. Jongdae’s grip tightened on the steering wheel and he averted his gaze. Despite the overwhelming love and affection Minseok felt for Jongdae upon his return, he was in a clear state of mind to reflect on his behaviour. There was no doubt about it; Jongdae had run away from his problems, leaving Minseok in an incredibly vulnerable state. He’d left all his servants to deal with it, as well as Yixing, and Minseok knew that if Yixing had not helped him then he would still be trapped by the unnatural bond.  
“I’ll explain everything later, we should just get back to the house,” Jongdae said. Minseok frowned at him and sank back in his chair. “Just tell me what happened.”  
“Yuchan arrested me and I was trialled today.”

The car nearly swerved off the road and Jongdae’s face paled.  
“What?” he asked sharply as he glanced at Minseok, his eyes wide. “What do you mean? Did he come to the house?”  
“Yes, he was looking for you, along with some others,” Minseok said. “He tried to hurt Baekhyun but I wouldn’t have it, so then he arrested me when he saw me. The trial was today but they couldn’t do it properly without you, and Yixing found Jongin and brought him there for his account but that wasn’t good enough either. Also, he’s Yuchan’s ward due to this agreement with his parents before they died, so he took us both. He drank from him, and I couldn’t stand it, so I… I attacked him. We managed to get out his house but I don’t know if anyone came after us.”

Verbalising the events of the past few days made Minseok realise just how much he had been through. He felt slightly overwhelmed for a moment and closed his eyes.  
“Minseok…I’m sorry.”  
Jongdae’s voice was a faint murmur, barely audible over the car’s engine, but Minseok did not want to look at him. He felt Jongdae reaching for his hand but he turned his body away from him. Jongdae did not say anything.

They quickly reached the manor and Jongdae climbed out to open the gates. Minseok took the opportunity to take in his appearance and he was shocked to see how weary and bedraggled he looked and he felt a tugging at his heart. But a part of his heart hurt as if stung by thorns at Jongdae’s disappearance. He knew that Jongdae acted the way he did out of sheer desperation, not wanting to make Minseok undergo his own suffering, but Minseok felt as though if Jongdae had not disappeared then neither he nor Jongin would have suffered at the hands of Yuchan.

Jongdae returned to the car and drove it through the open gates and up to the house. They barely came to a stop when Baekhyun and Junmyeon came hurtling out the front door, faces pale and eyes wide, and Minseok jumped out the car to meet them.

“Minseok!” Junmyeon cried. “Oh, my god! Are you bleeding?”  
“Jongdae?!” Baekhyun shouted. “What’s going on?”  
“I’ll explain later, we need to tend to Jongin,” Minseok said hastily. Jongdae gently pulled Jongin out the car and hoisted him into his arms and they all hurried into the house.

Minseok breathed a sigh of relief upon entering the house and he took in its safe, familiar scent and atmosphere. Jongdae laid Jongin down in the parlour and then Kyungsoo, Sehun, and Chanyeol burst into the room with loud exclamations. Minseok pushed past them to gently remove the makeshift bandage from Jongin’s neck and he gasped at the sight of his bite marks. Yuchan had practically torn his throat from one side almost down to his collar bones and it was an ugly sight. It was a miracle that Jongin had not bled too much, but he was incredibly pale and weak.

Jongdae had the sense to fetch disinfectant and bandages and Minseok quickly explained everything that had transpired. A hushed silence fell over the room and everyone shared looks of horror.

“Jongdae, where did you go?” Minseok asked when he returned and tended to Jongin’s neck. He avoided Minseok’s eyes and everyone turned to stare at him.  
“I went to my other house in the north,” he muttered, focusing intently on his tending to the wounds. Minseok stared at him and he knew he could feel his gaze.  
“Why did you come back?” he asked finally even though was somewhat nervous to hear the answer.   
“I felt that you were in danger,” Jongdae said quietly. “I’m assuming it was when you were with Yuchan.”

Minseok remembered back to the time when Yuchan threatened him in the cellar and he’d had the waking vision and had heard Jongdae’s voice. It was their telepathic connection and it was the first time he’d experienced it since Jongdae left.

“Anyway, you said that Yixing was at the trial,” Jongdae said, still avoiding Minseok’s eyes, and stood up. “Jongin will be fine, he just needs some rest,” he said and he looked at the boy with a soft expression. “I need to go find Yixing.”  
“You’re leaving again?” Minseok asked before he could stop himself. Jongdae met his gaze and there was a pained look in his eyes.  
“Can I speak with you quickly, Minseok?” he asked quietly. Minseok nodded and they stepped out the parlour, leaving the other boys to watch over Jongin and mutter amongst themselves, and Jongdae led Minseok to the drawing room.

The curtains were drawn inside and it was dark. It had not been cleaned in ages and Minseok could not help but notice the dust until Jongdae faced him with wide eyes.

“I had to leave you, Minseok,” he said. “I didn’t know how else to break the bond.”  
“It wasn’t because of you that it broke,” Minseok said with an unintentionally hard voice. “Yixing helped me. I – why did you leave? Do you know what I went through? I felt as though I was possessed, Jongdae! Yixing said that fledglings can _die_ if they’re left by their masters!”  
“I know what you went through,” Jongdae interjected and a strange look overcame his eyes. “My master died shortly after I was brought into the Kim Household. He was assassinated by one of his underlings due to a disagreement in parliament and the separation nearly killed me.”

Minseok stared in shock at Jongdae and a wave of guilt washed over him.  
“Jongdae – I didn’t mean – I had no idea,” Minseok stammered, but Jongdae cut him off by grasping his hands tightly.  
“The difference is that I hated and feared Prince Doyoung,” Jongdae murmured. “So I was aware of the bond. But you weren’t aware of it, Minseok. I’m so sorry, but I had no choice. I’m just so sorry.”  
Minseok stared at him, unsure of what to say, now questioning his feelings of hurt and bitterness because there was nothing but pure sorrow swimming in Jongdae’s eyes. Jongdae let go of his hands and looked at him intently.  
“I understand if we can never be the same again,” he said. “If your feelings for me have changed then I respect your decision to leave me.”

Minseok raised an eyebrow in disbelief. It was almost comical and he knew better than to laugh but the right side of his mouth curled up in a smile. It felt as though he had not smiled in years.  
“Jongdae, my feelings haven’t changed,” he said. “I was just hurt…but I know that it’s not your fault. The bond isn’t your fault. In the end you still saved my life, you know.”  
“I feel so guilty,” Jongdae said thickly and Minseok saw tears swimming in his eyes. “I saved your life? I’ve cursed you, Minseok. I took away your humanity and look what you went through! I don’t deserve anything from you.”

He turned away from Minseok, tears streaming down his face and Minseok thought he was going to run out the room and disappear again. In a moment of panic he threw his arms around him from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder and he squeezed him tightly.

“You deserve love, Jongdae,” he said softly. “You’re kind and compassionate and you don’t care about the vampire hierarchies. I would never change my mind about you, never.” He pressed a kiss to the back of his neck and he felt Jongdae place his hands over his.  
“I just didn’t want you to become a vampire like this,” Jongdae said with a small sob. “You had no choice.”  
“Jongdae, you saved me,” Minseok said in a firm voice. “How could I regret getting a second chance to live? I know it’s hard being a fledgling, and you broke the highest law, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m grateful, Jongdae. You did everything that you could and I’m grateful.”

Jongdae was quiet though Minseok knew he was crying.  
“I love you a lot,” Minseok said softly. “Don’t forget it.” Jongdae turned around in Minseok’s arms and kissed him hard, his tear-stained cheeks wetting Minseok’s face.  
“I feel like I’ve been in some state of limbo without you, Minseok,” Jongdae murmured. His breath tickled Minseok’s face and he smiled. He gently dabbed at Jongdae’s wet cheeks with his sleeve.  
“Me too,” he said. “I’m so happy you’re back.”  
“I won’t run away again,” Jongdae said and he clasped Minseok’s hand and kissed his knuckles. “I swear to God I’ll never do that.” His eyes burnt passionately and his words were almost gravely stern. Minseok pressed their foreheads together and Jongdae kissed him again and again until they were both breathless and flushed. Minseok felt that it had been far too long since they’d been together like that, just holding each other and sharing sweet passionate kisses.

“You have to go to Yixing,” Minseok said after a moment of content silence, brushing his thumb over Jongdae’s fingers. “What’s going to happen to us and Jongin?”  
“I think that Jongin should stay here now,” Jongdae said. “I can hire him as another servant and try to overrule whatever law Yuchan holds over him. As for us…I really don’t know. The Council may despise me, but as a prince I still have a degree of power I can use.”  
Minseok nodded, knowing that it was time for Jongdae to go but he did not want him to leave.  
“When you see Yixing tell him that I’m really grateful,” he said. “He brought Jongin to the trial today.”  
“I will. I hope I won’t be gone for long,” Jongdae said with a heavy sigh. “Will you be alright here?”  
“Yes, Jongdae. Don’t worry about me,” Minseok said. “Be safe.”  
“I love you, Minseok,” Jongdae said and he kissed his cheek. He pulled away, and Minseok felt his reluctance, and then he hurried out the room.

Minseok stood still for a moment listening to him leave through the front door and then he slowly made his way out the drawing room. He heard voices in the kitchen and when he entered he was surprised and relieved to see Jongin sitting at the table with the other boys, eating a hearty meal and smiling faintly.

“Where’s Jongdae?” Junmyeon asked.  
“He left to go find Yixing and sort everything out,” Minseok said tiredly and he sat down. “I just hope now that they can give us a fair trial…”  
Baekhyun and Sehun exchanged glances and they seemed nervous for a moment.  
“Uh, so, are you two still together?” Baekhyun asked awkwardly. Junmyeon shot him a disapproving look but he ignored him. Before Minseok could respond Jongin suddenly reached across the table to grasp his wrist.  
“Minseok, Jongdae loves you,” he said imploringly and Minseok was taken aback. “That night – the night you were attacked – I’ve never seen someone look at anyone else like that before. Don’t let this get between you two.”

There was a collective bout of surprised gapes and Minseok blushed.  
“Don’t worry, Jongin, uh, we spoke about everything,” he stammered and he saw sly smirks creeping onto Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s faces. He tried very hard to not look at them. “I appreciate your concern, though, so thank you.”  
“You’re blushing,” Baekhyun said loudly and Minseok turned his face away from him. There was an eruption of loud laughter and they all teased Minseok, until Junmyeon joined and Minseok teased him about Yixing. Jongin was rather bewildered by the sudden revelry and noise and Sehun took the liberty of explaining Junmyeon’s relationship with Yixing to Jongin, much to Junmyeon’s embarrassment.

As Minseok joked around with his friends he was able to momentarily his problems. He was distracted from issues of Yuchan and his status as a fledgling for a moment, and he was just allowed to be happy. He had not smiled or laughed in what felt like ages. Even Jongin’s spirits were lifted with the group and he seemed to have taken a close liking to Sehun. Minseok was happy that Sehun had someone his own age who he could call his friend and it warmed his heart to see the two boys laughing together. They passed time together in the kitchen until Jongin grew tired and Sehun offered to show him to his room.

“You should also clean up, Minseok,” Junmyeon said with a raised eyebrow. “You’re still covered in blood.” Minseok glanced out the window and realised that it was evening now and Jongdae had still not returned. Junmyeon noticed his frown.  
“Come on. It won’t do to just sit here and worry,” he said gently.

They went upstairs and only then when he bathed did Minseok see the full extent of his wounds. There were already fading bite marks from when Jongdae had drank from him, and on the opposite side of his neck was the marks from his turning and they still looked red and fresh. Yuchan had bitten him viciously and the bites were long slashes across his throat and they looked terrible. Along with the bites Minseok also bore a number of bruises from Yuchan’s violence though they were starting to fade. After bathing he changed into his own clothes, though he threw on Jongdae’s dressing gown as he could not resist the comfort it gave him, and he sought out Junmyeon in his own room.

“I was really worried about you,” he said as Minseok entered. He sat beside him on the sofa in front of the fire, ignoring the uncomfortable warmth for his friend’s sake, and he put an arm around his shoulders.  
“I’m alright,” he said. “I just hope everything else will be alright too.”

They sat in silence for a while as Minseok knew Junmyeon was also worried. The house was uncharacteristically quiet. As Minseok had hardly slept it did not take long for him to doze off while staring at the fire, comfortable beside Junmyeon and his head fell onto his shoulder.

He fell into a dreamless sleep, a brief moment of peace, but it was short-lived because it had not even been an hour until Minseok felt Junmyeon shaking him awake. He sat up slowly, feeling groggy and confused until he saw Jongdae crouching in front of him.

“Jongdae, what happened?” he asked. The fire had gone out and the room had a sharp chill that made Minseok shudder. Jongdae stared at the floor for a moment until he met Minseok’s eyes.  
“When you escaped with Jongin some people saw you,” he said slowly. “One of them happened to be one of the human ministers in government. They thought you were the one who had bitten him…they all saw the blood.”  
Minseok furrowed his brows in confusion and shared a glance with Junmyeon.  
“I don’t understand…”  
“The human representatives declared war,” Jongdae said and his voice shook slightly. “They retracted all the agreements they made with the Council and now they dissolved their seats in parliament.”

Minseok stared at him in disbelief but Jongdae’s grave face and the weariness in his eyes showed that he was speaking the truth. Humans and vampires were now at war again, and it was essentially because of Minseok.


	12. Chapter 12

Minseok stared at Jongdae in steadily dawning horror, struggling to fully understand his words.  
“War? As of tonight?” Junmyeon asked in a surprisingly steady voice. Jongdae nodded.  
“But…but was this because someone saw me and Jongin?” Minseok asked and he felt panic starting to creep into his being. “How can they just declare war based on that?”  
“It’s not your fault, Minseok,” Jongdae said quickly. “You know it’s been an incredibly fragile situation and I guess they were just looking for any excuse to do this.”  
“Why would they want to start a war?” Minseok exclaimed in horror. Jongdae shook his head and scowled at the empty fireplace.  
“No matter what anyone does it seems like humans and vampires just can’t live peacefully in this country,” he muttered. “They’ll take any chance they can get to try and seize power.”

He looked weary a strange look overcame his eyes, as though he was remembering back to the last wars. The war during Minseok’s childhood as well as the war in which Jongdae had been turned against his will. Minseok grasped his hand to comfort him as well as himself as he felt himself becoming anxious. Junmyeon got to his feet and started pacing in front of the fireplace.

“But what will happen? Is there actually fighting or something?” he asked. Jongdae shook his head but Minseok glanced out the window at the dark night sky as if expecting to see the fires of war and conflict.  
“It doesn’t really work like that,” Jongdae explained. “They started by dissolving parliament and creating their own human government. The struggle for power and resources will result in fighting and violence…and not to mention what will erupt between the anti-vampire groups and the anti-human groups.”  
Junmyeon opened his mouth to speak but seemed to stop himself and bit his lip nervously. Jongdae tightened his fingers around Minseok’s.  
“I expect that Yixing and all the other ambassadors will have to leave immediately,” Jongdae said gently. “They’ll be far safer than us, Junmyeon. No one would dare to make this an international conflict.”  
Junmyeon nodded but he looked no less worried. Minseok was still trying to process everything.

“But what about the trial? What about Yuchan and his awful behaviour? If someone gives us a chance we can explain that I didn’t hurt Jongin at all!”  
Jongdae shook his head sadly.  
“The Council will give us a trial, but now that’ll be the least of their worries. The only reason they sent me back here is because they instructed me to apprehend you and bring you straight back to them, Minseok, because you attacked Yuchan and you nearly killed him.”

Minseok stared at Jongdae in shock and Junmyeon froze in his pacing.  
“They think you’re too dangerous to be left without supervision,” he continued. “And so it’s my duty as your master to assert my authority over you and control you.”  
His voice was as hard as steel, but Minseok held his hand tighter.  
“Jongdae, if you take me there then – “  
“What? I would never do that!” Jongdae exclaimed and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “You’re going to hide here and I swear no one will take you anywhere.”  
Minseok’s expression softened as he looked at Jongdae and saw the fiery passion burning in his eyes. Junmyeon stole out the room, muttering about telling the others, and Minseok was grateful.  
“Jongdae…you know that we can’t just avoid this,” Minseok said gently. “You’ll get into even more trouble and they’ll send the police here.”

Jongdae opened his mouth to argue vehemently but Minseok clasped his hand over his mouth and smiled warmly at him despite the severity of the situation.  
“Running away only makes it worse,” he said softly. “Listen: you can take me there and we’ll pretend like the bond is still there between us. We need this trial, Jongdae, not only for our sake but also for Jongin’s. I know that it’s too late to undo everything, but Yuchan has been allowed to get away with too much for too long and I think that we can change it.”

Jongdae slumped back on the couch with a look of defeat.  
“I’ve put you through so much already,” he mumbled.  
“I’ve forgiven you, Jongdae,” Minseok said and he squeezed his hand. “I just want to put all of this behind us. There’s a war now, so we have more to worry about.”  
Jongdae turned his burning gaze on him and nodded gravely as if accepting a death sentence.  
“We should go now. I don’t want to waste any more time,” he said as he got to his feet, still holding Minseok’s hand and he stood up too. “We need to take Jongin too.”  
“I wish he could rest for longer,” Minseok said as they left the room together.

They found Junmyeon gathered with the others in Jongin’s room and the boy was barely able to keep his eyes open but he sat up when Jongdae and Minseok entered the room.  
“We have to go back to the Council,” Minseok explained, “so that we can have a proper trial. I’m afraid you have to come with, Jongin.”  
“But why? Why don’t you both just run away or something?” Baekhyun said but even as he spoke he seemed unsure of his words. Jongdae shook his head.  
“I couldn’t leave the rest of you behind,” he said with a small smile. “They would track us down anyway. They’re very unforgiving when it comes to fledglings, especially when they’ve attacked someone.”  
“Well, we’ll be here waiting, master,” Chanyeol said brightly, but even he could not totally conceal his worry.  
“I think it’s high time you all stopped calling me master,” Jongdae said with a frown and Minseok grinned. “I know you don’t do it behind my back so you might as well change.”  
“It’s a habit,” Baekhyun said with a shrug. “Junmyeon can be in charge while you’re gone seeing as he’s the most responsible of us.”  
Junmyeon looked proud albeit a bit embarrassed but Jongdae nodded in agreement.  
“Come, Jongin, get ready quickly because we’re going now. I’m afraid it can’t wait any longer.”

While they waited for Jongin to get dressed, Jongdae insisted that Minseok wear one of his coats. He had lost his own coat during the escape from Yuchan’s manor. While it was lined with fur and was well-made it did not look expensive and it suited his outfit.  
“I don’t want you to be cold,” he said as he buttoned it up to his collar. “You know…I’m surprised you didn’t sense me approaching you today in the cemetery. I was worried that…that the connection between us was totally ruined.”  
He stared at his hands as he fiddled with the embroidery around the collar but Minseok held them.  
“I’m still new to all of this, you know,” he said with a smile. “And I suppose that being able to sense you so instinctively was a part of the bond, so it’s gone now. That’s a bit regrettable.”  
Jongdae kissed his hands and looked at him imploringly.  
“I know it’s going to be difficult, but you’re going to have to obey everything I say. Don’t speak unless I tell you to and don’t even move unless I say so. They mustn’t know that the bond was broken or else they’ll think you’re far too dangerous.”  
Minseok scoffed at such a notion. He had been incredibly lucky by using the brooch as a weapon and he thought it was strangely comical that he was now viewed as a threat.  
“I can’t fight to save my life,” he said with a chuckle but Jongdae shook his head and took on a severely serious expression.  
“No, you’re my vicious little vampire and only I can control you,” he said and Minseok laughed. All he could do in this situation was laugh in the face of danger and awful uncertainty or else he would be an anxious mess.

Jongin appeared, dressed warmly in one of Sehun’s coats and scarves, and Jongdae and Minseok sprung apart. He did not tease them and Minseok was grateful for it. They left he manor quietly and Jongin sat in the back of the car.

“You’ll be fine, Jongin,” Jongdae said as they drove down the street. “You don’t need to hide anything from them. Don’t worry about Yuchan or anything because I promise you that I won’t allow him to take you back. You have my word.”  
“Thank you, sir,” Jongin said in a small voice.  
“Please call me Jongdae,” he said with a smile. “I’ve decided to hire you as my third footman so you’ll live and work at the manor and you’ll never have to see Yuchan again. My contract will override the agreement made with your parents.”

Minseok glanced over his shoulder and saw that Jongin looked worried and he did not blame him. He desperately hoped that they would be successful in the trial because he could not bear to see Jongin go back to the clutches of Yuchan.

Despite being in a war the city was eerily quiet as they drove through the streets. Minseok tried to not think about what the city would be like when the fighting actually broke out. Jongdae parked outside the Council Chambers and as soon as Minseok and Jongin climbed out the car a group of armed vampires appeared out of nowhere. Minseok and Jongin jumped but Jongdae immediately moved to stand in front of them.

“They’re under my command,” he said in a steely voice. “Do not touch them.”  
“We have orders to detain the fledgling,” one of them said with a glare at Minseok. “He attacked Prince Yuchan.”  
“I am aware. He is under my control and if you touch him I will not hesitate to stop you.” Jongdae’s voice was low and hard and Minseok had never heard him use such a tone before. The other vampires immediately backed away with alarmed expressions and Jongdae motioned for Minseok and Jongin to follow him up the stairs and into the building.

It was incredibly busy inside, far more chaotic than what it had been that morning, and Minseok was taken aback by the sight of vampires hurrying about looking stressed. He knew that it was most likely due to the outbreak of war and it made him slightly anxious but he tried to not think about the matter. Jongdae led them through the same way that Yuchan had but he turned down another long endless corridor and stopped before a dark door. He knocked twice and they only had to wait a second before it opened to reveal the elder Council member who had spoken during the trial. He regarded Jongdae with a frown, but his expression deepened to a darker look when he noticed Minseok and Jongin behind him.

“I see you’re a man of your word,” he muttered.  
“Always,” Jongdae replied. “Are we doing the trial in the courtroom or in this corridor, Lord Jin?”  
He scowled and stepped aside and Minseok saw several other elder Council members seated in the office and among them was Prince Yuchan. Minseok just managed to withhold a gasp because he looked terrible. He was pale and gaunt and his neck was heavily bandaged though he attempted to conceal it with his high collar. He immediately jumped to his feet and marched to the door.

“I want this fledgling in prison,” he barked. “I’ll drag him there myself if none of you do it.”  
“If you touch him I’ll rip off your hand,” Jongdae said in a low voice. Yuchan seemed to only notice Jongdae at that moment and he turned his glare on him.  
“You’re also due in prison!” he exclaimed. “How dare you just leave the country and leave _him_ unattended! And the fact that you turned him is another matter entirely!”  
“Is that not why I’m here at this ungodly hour?” Jongdae responded. “Let’s get this over with.”  
“Then step inside. We have no time to assemble the entire court right now,” Lord Jin muttered.

Yuchan stepped aside stiffly to pace around the office and Minseok followed Jongdae inside with Jongin close beside him. He noticed the boy’s quick pulse and he reached out to squeeze his hand discreetly. Lord Jin closed the door behind them and offered Jongdae a seat. The office was quite big but all the Council members made it stiflingly small for Minseok and it was somehow more intimidating than being in the centre of the courtroom. He stood behind Jongdae’s chair with his hands folded in front of him and tried to think back to his strange behaviour under the control of the bond.

“Now explain why you turned him,” Lord Jin said and he seemed as if he was tired of the whole debacle. “Give us a good reason of why you would bring someone like _him_ into our midst. We understand that he is one of the lowliest of humans from the decimated Crescent Moon Clan.”

The sudden mention of Minseok’s family made him tense but he tried to keep his face neutral. Yuchan was watching him like a hawk and his gaze was piercing but Minseok just stared at the back of Jongdae’s head.  
“Well, if you listened to Jongin’s statement then you would know that Minseok was attacked and fatally stabbed by an anti-vampire group who had been victimising him for months,” Jongdae said with a gesture to Jongin. He proceeded to explain that he had no other choice but to turn Minseok and that while he had initially intended to go abroad, he changed his mind on account of not being able to leave Minseok alone due to their bond.  
“So you admit that you were going to leave the country and abandon your duties?” one of the vampires interjected.  
“Yes, but only for a short while,” Jongdae said with a dismissive wave. “But as I have just said, I could not leave without causing him pain. Furthermore, I will also point out that he did not attack the boy as the humans have stated. They were unlawfully detained by Yuchan and –”

“Wait a minute,” Yuchan snapped and he jumped to his feet. “I remember you said that Prince Jongdae wasn’t your master!” he said and he pointed at Minseok and he felt his blood turn to ice. “You can’t openly defy him unless the bond was broken!”  
“Nonsense, Prince Yuchan,” Jongdae said nonchalantly. “Everyone knows how difficult it is to break the bond. Only rare healing rituals can do it.”

The other vampires nodded in agreement and Minseok held his breath.  
“Lies!” Yuchan barked. “You two have had a sickening relationship from the beginning! You only turned him for your own desires, Jongdae!”  
“Calm down, Prince Yuchan,” Lord Jin said warningly. “I understand that you have been through an ordeal but you cannot disrespect fellow Council members, and you certainly cannot make such ridiculous accusations. What proof do you have of this?”  
“No, wait, I remember when we arrested him Prince Yuchan said something similar and the fledgling did not deny it,” another vampire said. Minseok recognised him from the group who had arrested him and accompanied him to Yuchan’s house. “He also referred to him disrespectfully! A fledgling would never refer to their master in such a way.”  
“What proof do you have of any of this other than your own words?” Jongdae said in a loud voice. “I would like to point out that you detained him unlawfully and without my permission after harassing one of my servants, Prince Yuchan. Furthermore, he suffered disgusting treatment at your hands.”

Jongdae jumped out his chair and took Minseok by surprise by pulling down his collar to expose his neck. The vampires gasped in horror and Yuchan’s scowl deepened. Minseok kept his eyes down.  
“Not only did you attack him, but you forcefully drank from Jongin too, so you broke two laws,” Jongdae said as he glared at Yuchan. “He only attacked you out of self-defence! They had to flee for their own safety, resulting in several witnesses misinterpreting the entire situation and declaring the war we now find ourselves in. You have yourself to thank for that, Prince Yuchan.”

Several pairs of eyes glanced between Yuchan and Jongdae and the air was incredibly tense. Even Lord Jin was taken aback.  
“Prove your bond, then!” Yuchan shouted. Minseok noted the tone of angry desperation in his voice.  
“Prince Yuchan –“ Lord Jin interjected but the prince was adamant.  
“Prove that he is actually under your control because I don’t believe a word you say!” He reached into his pocket and for a second Minseok thought he was about to withdraw a weapon, but instead he pulled out the brooch. He shoved it at Jongdae and scowled.  
“Make him hurt himself,” he said and there was a bout of shocked gasps. “He won’t refuse.”  
“But I will refuse. This is barbaric,” Jongdae said in barely suppressed revulsion. To Minseok’s shock Lord Jin shook his head.  
“We need proof that he is under your control, Prince Jongdae,” he said gravely. “I don’t see any other way of proving it. Whether or not he attacked Prince Yuchan out of self-defence, it is still evident that he is too dangerous.”

There was a heavy silence for a moment and all Minseok heard was Jongin’s frantic pulse.  
“Fine,” Jongdae muttered. He snatched the brooch from Yuchan and turned to Minseok and he saw fear reflecting in his eyes though his face was a mask of annoyance. He was surprised at how good Jongdae was at concealing his emotions in the presence of the Council but now it was threatening to falter. He handed the brooch to Minseok and stared at him intently.

“Minseok, take this and prick your arm,” he said in a steady voice. Minseok rolled up his sleeve and took the brooch in his hand and forced himself to not hesitate. Just one second of hesitation would give himself away and he knew it so he wasted no time and pressed the sharp end of the pin to his inner arm. He winced slightly and it drew a small bead of blood.

“Anyone could fake that,” Yuchan scoffed. “I won’t believe it.”  
Jongdae glared at him and his jaw tensed.  
“Neither will I,” one of the elders muttered. “I expect a display of undying obedience.”  
“Fledglings are supposed to obey _any_ command,” Yuchan spat.  
Jongdae took a deep intake of breath and seemed to be withholding an outburst. Minseok could sense his stress and anger but he knew that he had no other choice.  
“I refuse to put him in danger if that’s what you’re implying,” Jongdae said stiffly. Lord Jin and a few others raised their eyebrows.  
“Oh? Is this due to your relationship?” Yuchan said loudly. “The relationship that you denied?”  
“Prince Yuchan, that is enough,” Lord Jin said warningly. “Just make him do one more display of obedience to convince the Council, Prince Jongdae.”

Minseok glanced at their faces and saw that there really was no other way. They were on the brink of making their decision and Minseok’s obedience would be the deciding factor. Jongdae sighed.  
“Alright, then,” he muttered as he rolled up his sleeve. “Minseok, stab my arm. Cut it to pieces if you wish. Anything that’ll make them see your obedience.”  
Minseok could not control the look of horror that crossed over his face and Yuchan noticed it too.  
“Ah, make the fledgling hurt his master,” he said with a cruel smile.  
Minseok hesitated and he knew he’d wasted too many seconds but Jongdae grabbed his wrist in a painfully tight hold and looked at him with a foreign expression that Minseok realised was anger.  
“Do it now, Minseok,” he said in a harsh voice that he did not even know Jongdae possessed. He knew that all of Jongdae’s behaviour was feigned in order to convince the Council but it did not fail to shock him. Minseok willed himself to think back to his strange behaviour under the influence of the bond and he bowed his head.

“Yes, of course, I’m sorry, master,” he said in what he hoped was a submissive tone. His hand shook slightly as he held the brooch and pressed the pin into Jongdae’s arm in the gentlest way possible. He did not wince but his grip tightened around Minseok’s wrist.  
“Do it again. I want you to carve your name into my skin,” he commanded.  
“J – Master!” he exclaimed, just managing to stop himself from saying Jongdae’s name.

He looked pained for a moment and Minseok wished that it would all end. He bit his lip and held back his emotions as he dragged the pin across Jongdae’s skin, carving uneven jagged lines into his flesh. It bled more than expected and Minseok could not stop his hand from shaking. Jongdae remained silent all the while and did not make any indication that he was in pain. Minseok stared at the crude, bloodied characters once he had finished and the brooch fell out of his hand and landed quietly on the carpet. A heavy silence fell over the room but Jongdae did not show any indication of pain. He merely withdrew a handkerchief and held it to his arm and turned to face the Council.

“Are you satisfied now?” he asked. Lord Jin looked mildly horrified but Yuchan was livid and his fists were clenched white around the arms of his chair. Minseok could not bear to look at him because he as though he would attack him again because he had made him hurt Jongdae. Some of Jongdae’s blood stained his fingertips and his sleeve and he stared at it in silent horror.  
“Well, yes, I think we can all agree that the fledgling is very much under your control,” Lord Jin muttered. “The law states that your fledgling must be accompanied by you at all times. As master you are totally responsible for him, do you understand? He will be arrested immediately if he is without you.”  
“I would never leave his side,” Jongdae said firmly and Minseok felt his chest tighten.

“Now how are you going to make reparations for his attack on Prince Yuchan?” Lord Jin said.  
“I don’t want anything,” Prince Yuchan spat.  
“I’ll give you a handsome sum just for old times’ sake, brother,” Jongdae said with a smirk, his words laced with animosity. “I’m sure you must be very traumatised after being attacked by a mere _fledgling_ in your own house.”  
Yuchan looked as though he was about to jump up and throttle Jongdae but a grunt from the vampire beside him made him stay in his chair.

“As for the issue with Jongin, I have hired him as my servant. I believe that this contract overrides yours, Prince Yuchan,” Jongdae said as he withdrew an envelope from his coat pocket. Lord Jin opened it and read the contract aloud and as he read Yuchan’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.  
“Well, everything does seem to be in order,” Lord Jin said as his eyes scanned over it again as if looking for any loopholes. Minseok was vaguely aware of Jongin’s barely contained elation but his mind was still racing from the entire ordeal.  
“Good. Then we have nothing more to discuss other than what charges will be laid against Prince Yuchan for breaking two laws,” Jongdae said.  
“We can have that trial another day,” a vampire interjected. “It is late and there is a war going on. In the meantime we will place Prince Yuchan under house arrest.”  
The look on Yuchan’s face could have burnt through steel but Minseok did not feel any sense of smugness or victory. He felt sickened by everything to do with the Council, from the dark chambers to the prejudiced members. He just wanted to leave and never return.  
“Great. If that is all, then I will see you all at the next meeting,” Jongdae said curtly. “Come, Minseok, Jongin.”

He turned to leave the room and Minseok hurried after him so closely that he nearly tripped over his own feet. He felt nausea creeping over him and it took a lot of self-control to not grab onto Jongdae’s arm. Only once they were back in the car and driving away from the Council Chambers did Minseok find words although his mouth was dry.  
“Jongdae…Jongdae I – ”  
“I’m glad it’s all over,” Jongdae said and he sounded tired. “Are you both alright?”  
Jongin made a sound of affirmation and Minseok forced himself to nod. In truth he was not alright, he was horrified and disgusted. While he knew of the taboos surrounding fledglings he had never seen it manifested before in such a grotesque manner. Everyone in the room had spoken about him as if he were a vile creature that was not even there, never to be addressed directly. They also spoke about Jongin as though he had no soul or autonomy. Minseok sank in the chair and clenched his fist tightly because he did not want to look at Jongdae’s blood.

Once they arrived back at the manor Junmyeon was the first to rush out to greet them. Jongdae quickly explained everything and gently told Jongin that he could choose a room and get to bed. As he had been sharing with Sehun he just quietly went to his room after thanking Jongdae and Minseok for all their help. Minseok merely nodded in response. Junmyeon asked Minseok if he was alright and he just said that he was tired. He did not want to talk about the ordeal but Junmyeon seemed to understand.

“Well, it’s late. I’ll go to bed,” he said and he squeezed Minseok’s shoulder and he appreciated the gesture. Jongdae took Minseok by the hand, the one that he did not keep clenched in his pocket, and led him upstairs to his bedroom.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, Minseok,” he said quietly once he’d shut the door behind them. Minseok gently took Jongdae’s arm and rolled up his sleeve and he gasped when he saw the wound he had created. His name glared back at him lines of red congealed blood and he stepped back in shock.  
“It’ll heal, Minseok,” Jongdae said quickly as he pulled his sleeve down. “It hardly hurt.”  
“Why did it have to be my name?” he muttered. “Of all things…why?”  
“Because I wanted to make them believe that you would obey me unquestionably,” Jongdae said and he held Minseok by the shoulders. “It was the only thing that would work without making you hurt yourself. I’m sorry.”  
“I know but…but…why are they like this? Why is the world like this? I can’t stand it!” Minseok cried. “I’m so sick of it!”

Jongdae pulled him into a tight hug and Minseok slumped against him, wanting to fall apart in his arms.  
“So am I, Minseok,” he murmured. “I wish we could just run away from it all.”  
“I’m sorry I had to hurt you,” Minseok mumbled. Jongdae scoffed.  
“I’ve had far worse, and you had to do it,” he said, trying to make light of the situation. “But now it’s all over. Yuchan got punished, though he deserves far worse, and you will never have to see him again, Minseok.”  
“I think if I do I’ll kill him,” he muttered. Jongdae pressed a kiss to his cheek.  
“You used to be so afraid of him,” he remarked. “What happened?”  
“He tried to hurt my friends,” Minseok said slowly. “I mean, I was still rather scared when he hurt me and when I was in his house, but I wasn’t that concerned…” Jongdae tightened his hold around him and rested his chin on his shoulder.  
“Let’s forget him,” he said softly. “I feel like I’ve been separated from you for years.”

The manor was very quiet as they lay in bed in each other’s arms with the hangings drawn shut to make it cosy and secluded and Minseok felt safe. His heart was still sore because of how tired he was from all the injustices of society he had to live with, but being with Jongdae was the most comforting thing in the world. Though he had washed Jongdae’s blood off his fingertips he still stared at his fingers with some lingering regret. Jongdae was aware of his uneasiness and how Minseok did not fall asleep despite his tiredness and the lateness of the hour.

Jongdae lay with his arm curled around Minseok, keeping him held tightly against his body, and his other hand brushed through his hair. Minseok took his hand and gently pushed up his sleeve to see the red cuts and he pressed a kiss to the last character near his wrist. Only now did he realise that it was the same arm that Minseok had drank from, and those scars paled in comparison to the ugly red lines he had created.  
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “It looks so awful.”  
“Please don’t feel bad, Minseok,” Jongdae said gently. “I would have asked you to cut off my arm if necessary.”  
“Don’t say such things,” Minseok said with a half-hearted laugh. Jongdae pulled his arm out of his grip to stroke his cheek.  
“I haven’t heard your laughter in a long time,” he murmured, gazing at him with burning eyes. Minseok smiled wanly.  
“It feels like I haven’t laughed in years,” he admitted.

Jongdae’s lips curled up in a grin for a moment before suddenly moved on top of him and attacked his sides with tickles. Minseok gasped with laughter, shocked by Jongdae’s behaviour, and Jongdae grinned down at him as his hands roamed beneath his shirt over his stomach and chest to draw breathless laughs from him. Minseok grabbed his hands and held them away while he tried to catch his breath, smiling widely, and Jongdae bent down to steal a kiss.

“That’s much better,” he said brightly. He pulled back Minseok’s sleeve to kiss his inner arm where he had pricked his skin. “Do you feel better?”  
Minseok grinned and nodded.  
“I’m just very tired, Jongdae,” he said with a laugh. Jongdae moved off him but pulled him close so that Minseok’s head rested on his chest.  
“When did you last sleep?” Jongdae asked.  
“I had a short nap today,” he muttered with a half-hearted laugh.  
“Just sleep now,” Jongdae said gently.  
Jongdae started to hum faintly and it took Minseok a second to realise that the song was Salut d’amour. He smiled widely and tilted his head up to kiss Jongdae’s neck and he allowed his mellow voice to lull him to sleep.

* * *

For the first time in a while Minseok actually had a short respite of peace with Jongdae. For two entire days they were not disturbed by the outside world and the manor became Minseok’s escape again. He could be with Jongdae and his friends without having to worry about his status as a fledgling or the fact that the country was in the midst of a war.

Peace was short-lived, however, when Jongdae was summoned to an emergency Council meeting.  
“The law requires that you come with me, Minseok,” Jongdae said as he rushed about the room searching for clothes. “I’ll have to lend you something formal to wear. Even though we’re in a _war_ they still care about such things.”  
Minseok did not want to leave the manor at all. He did not want Jongdae to go either but he thought that he should be grateful that he was able to go accompany him. They wore matching black cloaks and similar shirts and Minseok felt a bit silly when he caught his reflection in the mirror until he saw himself standing beside Jongdae.  
“We make a good couple,” he said with a smile and Jongdae nodded in agreement.  
“Hopefully this won’t be too long.”

The meeting was held in a vast room in the Chambers and Minseok felt rather intimidated when he followed Jongdae inside. He felt several pairs of eyes on him and he kept his head down. He heard everyone’s mutterings about him and Jongdae and what a disgrace he was to the Kim Household. Jongdae kept his head held high as he walked to his seat and waited for the other Council members to file inside. Minseok was relieved that Yuchan was not there and it meant that he was indeed being kept under house arrest.

“There’s no chair for you,” Jongdae muttered as he glanced around and his eyes darkened. “These bastards…”  
“It’s alright,” Minseok replied, but he knew better than to hope for equal treatment from the Council. Once all the members gathered inside and went to their respective seats Minseok sat down on the floor beside Jongdae and it caused even more vampires to stare in his direction. He kept his back up straight and his eyes on the floor despite how degraded he felt. He should be grateful that he and Jongdae had not been arrested so he should get used to the treatment. He noticed a number of empty seats, however, and he guessed that they were for the ambassadors who had since left the country.

The meeting was headed by the elder members and they got straight to the point by explaining how one city in the south had already been entirely taken by humans. Minseok found it difficult to keep silent and not react to anything as the war was discussed. Things were looking dire and conflicts were starting to spring up everywhere. The army had already been sent to several locations and soldiers were sent out to patrol the city in case of any conflicts. Then the meeting became rather technical and drawn out as they discussed resources and strategies and Minseok started to slouch and grow tired.

He did not realise he was starting to doze off until his head bumped into Jongdae’s leg and he jolted up with a shock. Some surrounding vampires shot him glares and he felt his cheeks burn, but Jongdae reached down a hand and brushed his fingers against his cheek in a faint caress. Minseok knew he was doing it just to annoy the Council members further and he forced down a grin. He managed to stay awake until the meeting was finally adjourned and he scrambled to his feet to follow Jongdae out.

“I’m sorry about this,” Jongdae muttered once they were in the car. Minseok smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek.  
“Give them something to be annoyed about,” he said. “I don’t mind at all.”

Despite how they joked around, the meeting had been rather serious and Minseok could not stop brooding about the war. He frequently glanced out manor windows as if expecting to see an advancing army or the city in flames. He went to another two meetings with Jongdae, and in between they spent their spare time closely together, either in the music room or with the others. Minseok once suggested that they perform for everyone but Jongdae adamantly refused because he was too shy.

Another worry came in the form of a sudden flu that resulted in Junmyeon, Jongin, and Sehun falling ill. Minseok quarantined them in Junmyeon’s room as it was the biggest and they all fitted comfortably together in the bed and it made it easier for him to look after them. Only he and Jongdae saw them to prevent getting the others sick. While Jongin and Sehun weren’t too sick, Minseok was immensely worried about Junmyeon. He was the weakest of the three and he seemed especially small and fragile as he slept between Sehun and Jongin.

“Has he eaten anything at all?” Minseok asked when he came back to the room to check on his friend. Sehun and Jongin were playing cards in front of the fireplace as their goal was to improve their strategy so that one of them could finally beat Baekhyun. A victory against Baekhyun was a victory for the entire house as far as Sehun was concerned.  
“No,” Sehun said sadly. “He just sleeps. Sometimes he talks in his sleep but otherwise he’s quiet.”  
Minseok felt Junmyeon’s clammy forehead and felt no difference in his condition. He reluctantly woke him as he had brought him a small bowl of soup made by Kyungsoo.

“Yixing?” Junmyeon mumbled as his heavy lids opened. Minseok shook his head sadly.  
“It’s just me,” he said. “I brought you some soup. It’s your favourite, Junmyeon.”  
Junmyeon seemed disinterested but he allowed Minseok to feed him two mouthfuls of soup until he turned away feeling nauseous. Minseok felt rather lost and he really wished that Yixing was there. Even though he wasn’t a doctor of any kind he certainly knew about healing and his presence provided a sense of comfortable stability.

His ill friends as well as the war and the Council meetings made Minseok feel very anxious. He woke up every morning with a heavy weight on his chest and with leaden dread coiling in his gut. The days passed by slowly and Minseok only breathed a small sigh of relief when each day ended without something awful happening. He did not think it was of any use confiding his worries in Jongdae as there was nothing he could do about it, and also because he was undoubtedly dealing with his own worries.

But Minseok’s feelings of anxiety and dread came to fruition when he started to hear something like faint gunshots one afternoon. He was keeping Sehun and Jongin company while watching over Junmyeon when his acute hearing picked up the strange sound and he glanced up in surprise.

“Did you hear that?” he asked.  
“What?” Sehun said with a frown. “I didn’t hear anything.”  
The shots resounded again and Minseok jumped because there were more and they were louder.  
“It’s gunshots or something,” he said.

Jongdae suddenly burst into the room and his eyes were wide.  
“Did you hear it?”  
“Yes.”  
“I have to go see,” Jongdae said as he started to move back out the door.  
“What?!” cried as he sprang to his feet. “It’s dangerous!” He hurried over to Jongdae and grabbed his arm.  
“It’s my duty, Minseok,” he said gently. Minseok frowned at him and tightened his grip.  
“You’ve never willingly done your duties before,” he said sharply. Jongdae looked away in defeat.  
“Fine, I won’t go,” he said. “But if I’m summoned I have to. Ignoring these things in a time of war is a totally different matter…”  
Minseok made Jongdae sit with him in Junmyeon’s room because he did not want to be separated without him in case he suddenly disappeared. The sounds reoccurred periodically though they grew fainter, but it did not make Minseok worry any less.

Even afterwards as Minseok went about cleaning the house he insisted that Jongdae accompany him.  
“Minseok, you don’t have to clean anymore, you know,” Jongdae said with a small laugh while watching Minseok dust the curtains in the ground floor parlour.  
“Jongdae, we can’t live in a pigsty,” Minseok said sternly. “It’s my home too, you know.” He turned around to continue dusting when all of a sudden Jongdae threw his arms around him from behind, making him gasp in surprise, and he pulled Minseok away from the curtains.  
“You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that,” Jongdae said and Minseok could practically hear his grin behind his ear.

They stumbled back together clumsily until they landed on the sofa in a heap, laughing all the while, and Minseok turned around in Jongdae’s arms to smile at him.  
“Wherever you are is my home, Jongdae,” Minseok said. Jongdae’s face was more radiant than the sun as he smiled up at him and Minseok felt affection soaring in his heart. He gently pulled Minseok down against him to kiss him slowly and tenderly. Minseok lost himself in Jongdae’s arms as white fire surged through his heart. In the midst of the kiss Minseok bit down on Jongdae’s bottom lip and he tasted blood, warm and sweet and delicious. Jongdae made a low sound of satisfaction and pulled him even closer, so close that Minseok could not separate himself from Jongdae, and he felt his warm hands wander beneath his shirt. He felt the fiery pull between their chests again and his heart beat wildly when Jongdae pulled down his shirt collar to kiss his shoulder, taking care to avoid his scarred neck. Minseok felt the prick of Jongdae’s teeth against his skin and he gasped softly.

Jongdae only managed to drink a few drops of blood when he suddenly stiffened and pulled away, his eyes wide in alarm.  
“Baekhyun is coming,” he said in a mortified voice. Minseok just managed to scramble off him and button up his shirt when the door of the parlour burst open and Baekhyun entered the room.  
“Jongdae, Yixing has been here for the past ten minutes,” he said with a raised eyebrow. “He’s seeing Junmyeon now, but he wants to talk to you.”  
“Oh, why didn’t you call me earlier?” Jongdae said in a forcibly steady voice.  
“He said he knew you were busy, though I don’t really know what he means and I don’t know why neither of you sensed him…” Baekhyun’s voice trailed away as his eyes focused on Jongdae’s dishevelled hair and flushed face and his very red lips. He glanced at Minseok, and he knew he looked even worse, and then Baekhyun’s mouth curled into a smirk.  
“If you’re not _busy_ anymore then I’ll go fetch him,” he said, clearly enjoying every moment of it as Jongdae averted his eyes and Minseok stared resolutely at the floor. He even paused for a moment to chuckle before leaving the room.

“I hate him,” Jongdae muttered. “He’s far too smug for his own good.”  
“We’re never going to hear the end of it,” Minseok said regretfully. He noticed the small red marks on Jongdae’s bottom lip where he had bitten him and he felt incredibly embarrassed. Baekhyun soon arrived with Yixing close behind him and only then did he actually realise that the ambassador was still in the country despite the war. He and Jongdae got to their feet to greet him. Yixing looked wearier than ever and Minseok knew that he had gone a very long time without blood and he felt rather concerned for him.

“Yixing, how are you still here? I thought everyone left already,” Jongdae said as he guided him to a chair. “It’s dangerous for you to stay!”  
“I can’t leave now, Jongdae,” Yixing said firmly and he shook his head. “I could never leave Junmyeon behind. I heard that the army is going to place the entire city under lockdown and I can’t bear to think of what will happen.”  
“What? Why?” Jongdae exclaimed. “Isn’t that basically a siege?”  
Yixing nodded gravely.  
“They’ll cut off all supplies; food, blood, medicine, and it won’t take long for the humans to band together and go on a killing spree, or for the vampires to start attacking humans to drink from them.”

Minseok clenched his fists and tried to control his heart.  
“So that’s why I’m here. I can grant all of you asylum if you come with me back to China,” Yixing explained. “It’ll take me a day or two to get everyone’s papers ready but as soon as I have them we can leave.”  
Jongdae and Minseok exchanged bewildered glances.  
“Yixing…I – I don’t even know what to say,” Jongdae stammered.   
“Don’t you want to leave?” Yixing asked and he tilted his head to the side in confusion. Jongdae looked lost for a moment but Minseok held his hand.  
“Of course I want to,” Jongdae said after a moment. “Minseok and I can’t even live together in peace, and that’s without a war.”  
“You’ll find that while there are rules governing turnings, in China we don’t treat fledglings like lesser beings,” Yixing said kindly. “We have been at peace with humans for centuries. It is natural for a human to want to become a vampire if someone they love is a vampire too, so as long as it’s entirely consensual it is allowed. It’ll be more than safe for the both of you.”  
“Thank you, Yixing, really,” Minseok said. “You’ve done so much for us, and also for Junmyeon and Jongin.”  
Yixing smiled and shook his head.  
“It’s nothing to help those I care about,” he said. “So will you both come with me? I already mentioned it to Baekhyun and the others and they’ve agreed as long as you do, Jongdae.”  
“Of course,” Jongdae said with a grateful smile.

Yixing nodded and got to his feet.  
“I’ll be off. I should see you in no more than two days,” he said. Jongdae and Minseok followed him out the parlour to the front door. “I’m sorry for dropping by so suddenly and interrupting you two.”  
His words made Minseok blush.  
“It’s fine! You hardly interrupted anything!” Jongdae stammered in a voice two octaves higher than his own. Yixing shot a dimpled smirk over his shoulder and it made Minseok want to hide his face.  
“If you say so,” he said in a voice awfully reminiscent of Baekhyun’s. Minseok stayed by the door, still incredibly embarrassed, while Jongdae escorted Yixing to the gate, and he brooded over his offer.

It felt a bit strange that he would happily leave his home country without a second thought, but Minseok thought he had been through enough already. It seemed unlikely that the issues between humans and vampires would ever be resolved and he could not bear to live through another war. While he had not fully experienced the previous one, he was now in the city and would be unable to avoid it. Yixing’s words about a possible siege made him shudder.

Minseok watched Jongdae and Yixing speaking for a while until he grew cold standing by the door. He went upstairs to see Junmyeon and he was glad to see that his friend was in good spirits despite still being sick. He noticed a bottle of medicine on the bedside table.  
“Yixing came by, Minseok,” Junmyeon said with a smile as Minseok sat down beside him. “Sehun and Jongin left to go to the library, but they’re nearly better so you don’t have to worry.”  
“Are you feeling better?” Minseok asked.  
“A bit…the medicine from Yixing will help,” he said and he looked at the bottle fondly. Minseok reached out to hold his hand.  
“You’ll be with him again soon,” he said with a smile. “We’ll all leave and live happily ever after.”  
“It feels weird that I agreed without a second thought,” Junmyeon murmured. “I don’t feel bad at all.”  
“I know what you mean,” Minseok said. “I just want to live somewhere peaceful with Jongdae. Someplace where you and Yixing can also be together without any problems.”  
“It’ll happen soon, Minseok,” Junmyeon said brightly.

* * *

True to Yixing’s words, no more than two days later he returned to the manor with a thick envelope full of travel and immigration papers. Junmyeon was starting to slowly recover from his flu, much to Minseok’s relief, but Jongdae had been summoned to a Council meeting hours before Yixing’s arrival, and he decided against going.

“There’s a war going on, they don’t have time to come arrest me,” he said dismissively when Minseok reacted with surprise. They sat with Yixing and everyone else in Junmyeon’s room while the ambassador sorted through the papers.  
“You’re leaving anyway, so there isn’t much point,” Yixing said as he handed everyone their respective papers. There was a buzz of anticipation amongst everyone though Minseok could not help but feel slightly nervous about the whole ordeal.  
“Now, the only train I could secure leaves at midnight tonight,” Yixing explained. “Here are your tickets.” He handed out the tickets and Minseok twirled it around in his hands, engraining the train and platform numbers to memory. “I’ll come by before eleven to get the luggage. Junmyeon, Kyungsoo, and Baekhyun can come in my car because it’s rather small, and the rest of you can go in Jongdae’s car.”  
Baekhyun made a sound of indignation.  
“I’m bigger than Minseok! Surely he should go with you?”  
“My car has the room for Chanyeol, Jongin, and Sehun’s long legs,” Jongdae said with a smirk. “And Yixing needs to take the luggage.”  
“And Minseok would obviously prefer to go with Jongdae,” Yixing said bluntly, making Chanyeol coo at Minseok and he swotted his hand away.  
“I’m taller than Jongdae too,” Baekhyun muttered sullenly.  
“Will we be living with you, Yixing?” Sehun asked, ignoring Baekhyun’s sulking, and there was a child-like excitement in his voice. Yixing smiled and nodded.  
“I live in the countryside in Hunan, it’s very beautiful there,” he said with a fond smile. “Though my house is nowhere nearly as grand as Jongdae’s, I’ll still be able to accommodate all eight of you.”  
“My house is hardly grand,” Jongdae scoffed. “I have no attachment to it anyway…though I’ll miss the piano.”  
“Jongdae, I own a piano,” Yixing said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
“Then you have to finally play it for us!” Baekhyun said indignantly. “It’s insufferable hearing you through a door!” Minseok and Yixing laughed at the gobsmacked look on Jongdae’s face.

Yixing stayed for a short while before leaving to make final arrangements. Minseok noticed him talking softly to Junmyeon by the door, whose eyes practically sparkled as he gazed back at Yixing, and he made a mental note to tease him about it later. Jongdae approached him and draped an arm around his shoulders.

“We’ll be fine, Minseok. Everything’s finally falling into place,” he said softly. Minseok leaned his head on his shoulder.  
“You really don’t feel any attachment to the house? Haven’t you lived here for a long time, though?”  
“Only thirty years,” Jongdae said with a shrug, “but I really only started liking it when you started working here, you know.”  
Minseok smiled and Jongdae kissed his cheek.

Once Yixing left everyone went about packing their possessions. Baekhyun and Chanyeol made quite a lot of noise of the entire affair and went about saying goodbye to all the furniture and each and every room of the house. Minseok hardly had anything to pack into his small suitcase as it was just his clothing and the small box containing his family keepsakes. While he packed his things in Jongdae’s room he felt Jongdae approach him from behind and something cool was slipped around his neck. He glanced down and saw the crescent moon pendent.  
“I got the chain fixed for you,” Jongdae said softly. Minseok felt the cool pendant with his fingers and smiled. He thought of his family and he knew that they would have welcome Jongdae with open arms if they had the chance to meet him.  
“Thank you, love,” Minseok said.

He watched Jongdae amble about the room taking a few things and placing them in the suitcase, only to replace them with other things.  
“I have too many clothes,” he said with a sigh. “I don’t really think that there’ll be a need for be to bring them all. I’m not going to be a prince there, am I?”  
“No, you can just be Jongdae,” Minseok said with a smile. “You can become a composer too.”  
Jongdae smiled at him.  
“And you can be a violinist,” he said and Minseok smiled at the thought.

Amidst the noise resounding through the manor Minseok felt something strange in the atmosphere. For a moment he and Jongdae were still and they met each other’s eyes, and then all of a sudden a strange rumbling tore through the earth and the house started to shake. Minseok thought it was an earthquake for a moment until he heard something like distant banging and crashing. Jongdae immediately rushed to him and crouched over him as the furniture shook with the house. It stopped after what felt like a few seconds and Minseok did not realise that he had been holding his breath with his eyes clenched shut.

“What was that?” he gasped, clutching tightly onto Jongdae. He looked just as fearful.  
“I don’t know, but I think it was on the other side of the city,” he muttered. He approached the window cautiously and peered out but Minseok knew that the view was limited to the sprawling garden. “I can see some smoke in the distance…I think the fighting has started,” he said quietly. Minseok felt dread in his gut. He got up and left the room to go and see if everyone else was alright. They were equally confused and Junmyeon looked rather shaken. Minseok wished that time would go faster so that they could leave sooner because he feared anything else happening.

Once everyone had packed their bags they lined them up in the foyer. Trunks and satchels were shared amongst one another as they decided to only pack the essentials and leave behind sentimental things, which were mostly books. The only thing that Minseok insisted on taking was the violin and the sheet music books. All eight of them sat together in the parlour playing cards while waiting for Yixing after Kyungsoo had whipped up a lavish last supper, making use of all the remaining ingredients, and Minseok was envious of the others for being able to enjoy it. It did not feel as though they were leaving the manor forever as everything was still in place as if they were planning to return after an hour. Minseok would be lying if he said he did not like the house, but he knew that it was his attachment to Jongdae that made him feel in such a way.

Now as they waited Minseok did not take part in the card game because he was impatient to leave. He bounced his leg in agitation while constantly glancing at the window to look at the gate.

“Minseok, come with me upstairs quickly,” Jongdae said as he abandoned his hand of cards and got up. Baekhyun snatched the cards and swore loudly.  
“Ah! You would have beaten me!” he said with a loud laugh and Sehun groaned in frustration because he had lost dismally.  
“Are you two sneaking off to be gross somewhere?” Chanyeol said with a smirk and Junmyeon rolled his eyes.  
“No, and even if we were it’s none of your business,” Jongdae retorted in a childish tone.

He snatched Minseok’s hand and marched him out the parlour while Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s teases chorused after them. Minseok laughed despite his embarrassment. Jongdae led him upstairs to the music room and they sat down on the piano bench together.

“Don’t be nervous, Minseok,” Jongdae said as he held his hands and brushed his thumbs against his skin. “I can tell you’re apprehensive.”  
“I’ve had this weight on my chest for ages,” Minseok said with a sigh. “But once we’re out of here I’ll feel better. I really can’t believe we’re in another war…”  
“Our last war,” Jongdae said firmly. “We won’t have to live in fear anymore. How’s your neck?” Minseok pulled down his collar and Jongdae leaned close to inspect the scars. Minseok knew they would take a long time to fade, and that the bites from his turning would never fade entirely. He did not mind about those, though, because he knew that it was a mark of Jongdae’s undying love. Jongdae traced his fingers along the long scars left by Yuchan and his jaw tensed.  
“We’ll be fine, Minseok,” he said quietly. “Anyway, I brought you here because I think I should play you a bit of my composition before we leave. I want you to be the first to hear it so that you can rub it in Baekhyun’s face.”

Minseok chuckled, realising that Jongdae had hidden the sheet music under his arm to keep it out of Baekhyun’s sight. He set it on the piano and stretched his fingers before he pressed down on the keys. Although Minseok had attempted to play it on violin he had sounded nothing like how Jongdae sounded now and he watched in a silent awe as his fingers moved lithely across the keys and created one of the most beautiful songs Minseok had ever heard. Minseok was momentarily lost in Jongdae’s music until he sensed that Yixing had arrived.  
“It’s beautiful, Jongdae,” Minseok said as they left the room. Jongdae gave him a clumsy kiss as they walked down the passage.  
“I’ll finish it for you when we’re there. Baekhyun will be so jealous,” he said with a laugh.

They came down the stairs to find that Baekhyun had let Yixing inside already. To Minseok’s surprise he looked rather grave.  
“Did you all here those explosions today?” he asked. “I’m afraid it’s already started. The military is taking control of some of the human sectors.”  
“Is it safe to travel to the train station?” Junmyeon asked with furrowed brows.  
“Yes, but we mustn’t dawdle,” Yixing said.

They quickly got to work in carrying the luggage out to the car. It was a bitterly cold night and Minseok hoped it would not snow because it would only make the travelling more difficult. The night was quiet but he felt an ominous sense of foreboding as he glanced at the moonless sky. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun just managed to fit into the car amongst the luggage and they gave everyone brief goodbyes. Minseok clasped Junmyeon’s hand tightly before he climbed into the passenger seat.  
“I’ll see you in less than an hour, Minseok,” Junmyeon said with a smile. Minseok nodded but for some reason he was just anxious about the whole affair. He and Jongdae stood outside until Yixing had driven out of sight.

“We should probably get going,” Jongdae said after a moment. “Rather sooner than later.” Just as they turned to go back into the house Minseok heard a strange sound that did not sound too far off. He glanced over his shoulder but he saw nothing. Jongdae noticed as well but he ushered Minseok inside.  
“Are we going? Jongin’s close to falling asleep,” Sehun said and he nudged Jongin who was nodding off on the sofa beside him.  
“Yes. Everyone get your stuff,” Jongdae said insistently. They all shouldered their satchels and followed Jongdae outside after extinguishing the remaining candles and leaving the house in total darkness. Minseok did not give it a second glance as he left because he was very impatient to leave. The car was parked close to the gate, which Jongdae had left open in order to allow them to easily drive out without having to fumble with keys. He did not even bother to lock the front door because there was no need to.

Chanyeol, Sehun, and Jongin climbed into the back seat and just as Minseok opened the door to the passenger seat he heard the strange sound again but this time he recognised it as a small detonation, and he realised that it was in the street outside the house. Minseok froze and he met Jongdae’s glowing eyes.  
“Let’s go,” he said quickly. They both climbed into the car but just as Jongdae started the engine Minseok saw something like a moving light come into the street and approach the house. He realised that it was a group of people, all humans, and that they were carrying flaming torches. He froze in his seat when he saw that they were armed.  
“What – what is this?” Jongin stammered. “They’re from the anti-vampire group!”  
“All of you get out quickly,” Jongdae said in a hard voice. “Stay out of the light behind the car and don’t move. They won’t be able to see you. I’m going to talk to them.”  
“Jongdae!” Minseok exclaimed. “They won’t listen to a word you say!”  
“Just listen to me, please,” he said urgently. “I can distract them for a bit by leading them into the house. I’ll meet you by the back door, do you understand?”

Minseok could do nothing but watch in helpless horror as Jongdae climbed out the car and approached the group as they made their way up the slope towards the open gates. He quickly climbed out the car and the three boys followed but they huddled together in the shadows.

“Who are you and what do you want here?” Jongdae said loudly, his voice echoing in the tensely quiet night. Minseok held his breath.  
“We’re here to deliver justice to all the humans who die at the hands of monsters like you!” someone shouted, resulting in a bout of cheers.  
“I’ve never killed anyone before, but I know that means nothing to mobs,” Jongdae retorted. “You can kill as many vampires as you like but you’re only perpetuating this cycle of violence. This war started because of fools like yourselves.”

Someone shouted a curse and the group suddenly moved forward, with a number of crude weapons drawn and Minseok couldn’t withhold his gasp. Jongdae turned and dashed up the pathway and into the house and Minseok just managed to gather his wits and dart out of sight and push the boys further back into the garden as the mob stormed into the house.

“Hurry!” Minseok exclaimed and he ran around to the back. He motioned for the trio to hide with him behind a large unkempt bush close to the back door so that Jongdae could join them quickly. But Minseok just heard crashing and shouting and cursing from within the house and there was no sign of Jongdae. He clenched his fists so hard that his nails left marks in his palms and he could not wait any longer and jumped to his feet.  
“Minseok! No!” Chanyeol hissed and he forced him back down with an astonishingly strong grip on his hand. Minseok tried to struggle but he also did not want to give Jongdae away in case he was hiding in the house and just waiting for the opportunity to leave.

All of a sudden there was a booming explosion that made them all scream and cover their heads with their arms. Minseok dared to resurface and he gasped when he saw that the entire upper left wing of the house was engulfed in flames. He saw the mob bursting out the house on the other side, shrieking victoriously all the while, and panic seized his heart. He wrenched his arm out of Chanyeol’s grasp and sprinted to the door at an astonishing speed before the boy could even react. Minseok burst into the house and smoke immediately assaulted his lungs.

“Jongdae!” he shouted. “Jongdae!”

He was suddenly overcome by the smoke and had to cough but he had no time to waste and ran through the kitchen and into the passage. It was dark but he could see perfectly due to his acute eyesight. He called out for Jongdae again and again but there was no response as he searched through the ground floor. He bolted up the stairs and frantically searched through the first floor.

“Jongdae!” he shrieked through his coughing. The smoke was worse upstairs and for a moment Minseok struggled to see when all of a sudden something tackled him to the ground and the breath was knocked out of his lungs. He recognised the animalistic growls and he gasped when the smoke cleared and he saw that it was Yuchan pinning him to the floor.

“I’ve finally come to get my revenge!” he snarled. “I convinced those humans that it was Jongdae who was the cause of all their strife and I promised them handsome rewards for his head on a stick!”

Minseok could not respond because Yuchan wrapped his hands around his throat and pressed down hard and dragged his nails over his scarred skin. His face was contorted in a grotesque mask of hatred, his eyes burning in the dark smoky haze, but Minseok did not feel scared because he was too preoccupied with looking for Jongdae. He only felt a burning need to find and protect Jongdae and Yuchan was getting in the way of that.

A surge of adrenaline seized him he threw Yuchan off and scrambled to his feet and hurtled down the corridor calling for Jongdae.

“You’re not getting away again!” Yuchan howled and he tore after him.

Suddenly he wooden ceiling above Minseok’s head made a terrible groaning sound and he darted out the way just in time before it caved in entirely in a deafening crash of wood and stone and fire. The raging flames started to consume the first floor corridor and Minseok just managed to jump through the ruins of the ceiling and hurtle down the passage towards the stairs. But when he reached the second floor he saw that it was engulfed in smoke and flames and his breath hitched in his throat. His mind flashed back to the strange dreams of Jongdae’s memories – dreams of fire and lightening and vampire soldiers and death.

“Jongdae! JONGDAE!”  
“Minseok!”

His voice was a fearful cry and it came from a nearby room that was not engulfed in flames. Where the floor had caved in it was like a large fiery pit and it had created a vacuum for the inferno and it gave Minseok a chance to dart through the smoky passage in the direction of Jongdae’s voice. But when Minseok touched the doorknob it burnt his hand and he yelped.

“The fire! It blocked the door!” Jongdae shouted from the other side and Minseok desperately tried to kick down the door. While he knew he was stronger as a vampire the door felt as though it was made of steel as he kicked at it again and again.  
“Just wait – No!”

Yuchan suddenly appeared through the smoke like something out of a nightmare, his eyes glinting murderously and he looked maniacal as he glared at him.

“You’re not leaving this place!” he snarled. “I’ll kill you with my bare hands!” He suddenly lunged at Minseok but he managed to just dart out the way. He stumbled over his own feet and panic gripped his heart because he knew that he stood no chance in a fight against Yuchan. Every other time he’d managed to beat him he had just been lucky, but now he was trapped in an inferno with no way of avoiding a fight.

Minseok ran down the passage but stopped just short of the flames that rose from the gaping hole in the floor and he skidded to a halt before he got too close. It was unbearably hot and he felt as though his skin would be melted off at any minute. The thick clouds of black smoke threatened to choke him to death before the fire could kill him and in his struggle to catch his breath he felt himself hyperventilating. He saw the dream flash before his eyes again – fire and blood and death and nothing but death ahead of him.

An awful painful death at the hands of Yuchan.

Death for Jongdae.

Minseok heard him shouting frantically in the room over the crashing and creaking sounds of the house being devoured by the fire and even over Yuchan’s shouts and growls and he felt his heart harden like iron. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists because he refused to let it all end this way. He had already looked death in the face once and he was ready to do it again – this time for both his and Jongdae’s sakes. 

A sudden idea came to mind and he planted his feet firmly on the floor and braced himself for Yuchan’s attack. Just as he jumped at him to tackle him Minseok exerted every ounce of his strength into using Yuchan’s momentum against him and he grabbed onto his clothing and shoved him to the side. His eyes widened in horror as he was thrown to the side and he could not regain his footing. He fell through the clouds of black smoke and down into the fiery pit with a final awful shriek and Minseok winced from the sound of it.

But Minseok wasted no time and returned to the room where Jongdae was trapped and he channelled his remaining vestiges of strength into kicking in the door. The door broke off its hinges and Minseok managed to kick it down to reveal Jongdae. He shielded his face from the sudden onslaught of smoke and heat.

“Where’s Yuchan? What happened?” he exclaimed through his coughing but Minseok wasted no time and pulled him towards the stairs.  
“He’s gone, let’s just get out!”  
“Wait!”

Jongdae steered Minseok down the first floor passage, which was nearly entirely obscured in smoke, and he burst into the music room.  
“Jongdae! What are you doing?” Minseok cried, coughing and spluttering all the while. Jongdae darted towards the piano and grabbed the sheet music that he had left there earlier.  
“I’m not losing this again!” he exclaimed. If they were not in danger of being burnt to death or dying of smoke inhalation then Minseok would have laughed. They ran down the stairs so fast that they nearly tripped and now the flames were rapidly spreading throughout the house.

They both burst through the back door in a cloud of smoke and Minseok gasped and coughed at the fresh night air.  
“Minseok!” Chanyeol cried, and he was on the verge of tears. “I tried to stop him, Jongdae!”  
“It’s a good thing you didn’t,” Jongdae said hastily. “Hurry, everyone, we need to go!”

They all scrambled into the car and Jongdae haphazardly drove it out through the gates, still clutching the sheet music in his other hand, and it swerved dangerously on the ground. Minseok glanced over his shoulder and saw that the house was now entirely engulfed in flames that rose high into the night sky. Jongin and Sehun were stunned into silence but Chanyeol was crying.  
“Chanyeol? What’s wrong?” Minseok asked in alarm, glancing over his shoulder to look at the boy.  
“Nothing, it’s just – just that I’m going to miss that house,” he sniffed. “It was really a place we could all call home.”  
“Well, at least you’ll have the fond memories,” Jongdae said with a small smile. Minseok took the sheet music from him and held it close to his chest and sighed deeply. The streets were empty but he knew that somewhere there was commotion as he saw fires in the distance behind them. In the darkness his acute eyes spotted some rubble and signs of destruction that were most likely a result of the conflict from earlier in the day. But now he was leaving it all behind him.

The train station was chaos as a lot of people seemed to be fleeing the country, vampires and humans alike, and now none of that even mattered as people gathered on the platforms together with their families and possessions. Well-dressed nobles and lower-class workers with nothing but the clothes on their back all ignored the hierarchies and roles of society and stood beside one another as they queued on the numerous platforms.

Jongdae led Minseok through the crowd by the hand, and Minseok held onto Jongin’s hand, and he onto Sehun’s and Sehun’s onto Chanyeol in a long chain to stop them from getting separated. They reached their platform to find Yixing waiting there and he looked as though he was on the verge of hysterics. He made a loud sound of relief and even cursed in his own tongue when he saw them and his eyes widened in alarm.  
“What on earth happened? Why are you both so dirty? Is that blood?!”  
“It’s a long story, but the house got burnt down,” Jongdae said with a sigh, sounding as though there had been a minor traffic jam along the way.

They climbed onto the train with Yixing and he led them through carriage where they were greeted by Junmyeon, Baekhyun, and Kyungsoo who were all very worried. It was not first class but Minseok hardly cared and there was just enough room for three people per compartment. Baekhyun sat beside him, chattering loudly about how he couldn’t believe that the house was burnt down and that they’d managed to survive it all, and Minseok rested his head on Jongdae’s shoulder and listened and responded when appropriate. To his utter relief the train finally started to move and carry them away from the station. Minseok stared out the window as they moved, gathering speed and leaving the city behind in a blur of shadows and dim lights. Baekhyun quietened down and slumped against Minseok though he did not mind at all as the boy fell asleep. Minseok reached up to touch the crescent moon pendant around his neck and he felt immensely grateful that he had not been doomed to the same fate as his family.

“We’re finally leaving, Minseok,” Jongdae said quietly. “I don’t feel bad about it at all.”  
“Me neither. Though I am a bit sad about the house,” he admitted. “At least you had the sense, though I would also call it reckless stupidity, to save your composition.”  
Jongdae chuckled and rested his hand on Minseok’s knee.  
“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you never heard the rest of it. It’s an ode to you, anyway,” he said with a smile.  
“Oh? Last I remember it was an ode to the moonlight or something,” Minseok said. He smiled at the memory of when he had first discovered it on the desk in Jongdae’s bedroom.  
“Well, whenever I saw you in my dreams you were bathed in the light of the moon and you looked so beautiful,” Jongdae said. Minseok grinned at him and kissed his cheek.

* * *

Once they finally arrived after days of travelling Minseok knew that he was home. Yixing’s house was an old, traditional, one-level house in the middle of the scenic countryside and there was just enough room for all nine of them. It had a flourishing garden that was overrun with flowers and shrubs and trees and the place was even more beautiful at night in the light of the moon and the stars. 

Minseok stood in the garden in the early evening gazing at the small pink buds on the trees. The air was comfortably cool against his skin, marking the end of a long winter. Night birds chirped softly in the trees it was a pleasant sound to Minseok’s ears.

“The first blossoms of spring,” Jongdae remarked as he approached and put an arm around Minseok’s shoulders.  
“They’ll look pretty in your hair while you play piano,” Minseok said with a smile and he leaned into his touch. Jongdae had played the full song for him several times now on Yixing’s piano and he still could not get enough of it. He spotted Junmyeon and Yixing sitting together at the other end of the garden, talking softly in the intimate way that they usually spoke and Minseok grinned at the sight. He had never seen his friend in better health before and it warmed his heart.

“I’m so happy here, Minseok,” Jongdae said softly. “I’m so happy with you, and Yixing, and all of our friends.”  
“We’re a family,” Minseok said, leaning his head against Jongdae’s shoulder as he stared at the fading sunset, burnt blood red against the darkening sky. He felt for the pendant around his neck and he smiled because now he truly belonged somewhere. He had found his place in the world amongst humans and vampires. He had found comfort in his friendship with Junmyeon, always keeping him grounded and secure in the years he spent living in the city. His friendships with Baekhyun and Sehun brought him joy and child-like laughter, and the boys never failed to bring a smile to his face and bring out his own carefree youthful side. He could always rely on Kyungsoo and Chanyeol’s compassionate nurturing tendencies to comfort him in times of need. Through his friendships with Yixing and Jongin he discovered two of the kindest souls he had ever met. And he had found home and belonging in his deep, everlasting love with Jongdae. His heart soared when he glanced at him and saw the burning sunset reflected in his shining red eyes and he knew that he was finally at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally done! Happy 2019 btw!  
> Thank you so much to everyone who left kudos and comments ♡＾▽＾♡


End file.
